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German Township vs Preston Township

Next-door neighbors in Richland County. The biggest differences: property tax bill (2.8× in German Township) and household income (2× in German Township).

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German Township, ILA small town of 271Richland County · 271 people
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Preston Township, ILA small town of 1,601Richland County · 1,601 people
Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

German TownshipA small town of 271
Quiet strengthsGerman Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about German Township →
Preston TownshipA small town of 1,601
Quiet strengthsPreston Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Preston Township →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $670 more a month in German Township

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

German Township$1,440/mo
Typical home $210K (Census) · tax rate 1.96% · Housing →
Preston Township$770/mo
Typical home $123K (Census) · tax rate 1.19% · or rent about $617/mo · Housing →

The difference: $670 a month, about $8,100 a year, between German Township and Preston Township.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Where they are

German Township and Preston Township share a border

Straight-line miles between town centers.

German TownshipPreston TownshipGerman TownshipPreston Township
German Township ↔ Preston Township6.1 miles apart · They share a border · Same county
Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Illinois ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
German TownshipPreston Township
Snow a year11″11″
January low21°F21°F
July high87°F87°F
Growing season (days)189d189d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)62nd62nd
Outdoors & history
German TownshipPreston Township
Trails5 mi12 mi
Conserved land0%0%
Community
German TownshipPreston Township
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

German TownshipPreston Township
People
Population 271Lowest 1,601Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census — -5.7%
Median age 59.3±15.9Highest 52% above IL 44.8±15.4Lowest 15% above IL
German Township and Preston Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 21%±16.3Lowest IL: 21.8% 22.4%±6.2Highest IL: 21.8%
Preston Township and German Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 33.9%±11.5Highest IL: 17% 15.6%±4.2Lowest IL: 17%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 37.5%Highest IL: 37.8% 23.3%Lowest IL: 37.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.2%±6Highest IL: 6.3% 0%±1.1Lowest IL: 6.3%
German Township and Preston Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $110,500±$8kHighest 33% above IL $53,941±$5kLowest 35% below IL
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $209,500±$41kHighest 20% below IL $123,100±$33kLowest 53% below IL
Rentmedian gross, monthly — $617±$103 52% below IL
Property taxmedian, yearly $4,107Highest 22% below IL $1,468Lowest 72% below IL
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent — 3.4%±38.4 IL: 47.9%
Below poverty line 0%Lowest IL: 11.8% 9.2%Highest IL: 11.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 91.7%Highest IL: 67.1% 76.8%Lowest IL: 67.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1981Highest 10 yrs newer than IL 1976Lowest 5 yrs newer than IL
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 16 minLowest 42% below IL 23 minHighest 18% below IL
Work from home 0%±8.8Lowest IL: 15.9% 6.6%±5.7Highest IL: 15.9%
Preston Township and German Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0.7%Highest 0.6%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 20.8 miLowest 21.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.12Lowest 0.25Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Olney (29%)Olney (29%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Preston TownshipFew work in German Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 4.9 miLowest 12.4 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.3 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 2.0Lowest 3.6Highest
Illinois average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

German Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to German Township’s Town Square.

Preston Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Preston Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering German Township

Towns like German Township

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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