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.

Schools

C−Jackson TownshipBetter than 24% of districts in the state A−Limestone TownshipBetter than 77% of districts in the state

Health

B−Jackson TownshipHealthier than 53% of U.S. towns DLimestone TownshipHealthier than 14% of U.S. towns

9Jackson Township

10Limestone Township

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Highest graduation rateSchools · 669 towns #604#18 Most conserved landOutdoors · 838 towns #20#482 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 861 towns #342#758 Shortest commuteGetting around · 862 towns #669#328 Fastest growingGrowth · 859 towns #673#359 HealthiestHealth · 861 towns #514#827 Most trailsOutdoors · 665 towns #423#644 Fewest smokersHealth · 861 towns #447#729

Left end = #1 in Illinois. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Jackson Township’s rankings →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $220 more a month in Jackson 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.

Down paymentRate%

Jackson Township$1,850/mo

Typical home $272K (Census) · tax rate 1.87% · or rent about $1,481/mo · Housing →

Limestone Township$1,620/mo

Typical home $240K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.84% · or rent about $1,097/mo · Housing →

The difference: $220 a month, about $2,700 a year, between Jackson Township and Limestone 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.

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

Jackson TownshipLimestone Township

Snow a year17″27″

January low17°F —

July high84°F —

Growing season (days)188d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)39th 76th

Outdoors & history

Jackson TownshipLimestone Township

Trails9 mi 2 mi

Conserved land25%2.9%

Settled—2006

Archive photos3 —

Community

Jackson TownshipLimestone Township

Library hours a week—52 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

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.

Where they are

21 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Jackson TownshipLimestone Township

Jackson Township ↔ Limestone Township21 miles apart

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.

Only big differences vs Illinois average

Jackson TownshipLimestone Township

People

Population 3,875Lowest 5,010Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -4.9%Lowest +0.4%Highest

Median age 44.5±5.2Lowest 14% above IL 44.6±5.5Highest 14% above IL

Limestone Township and Jackson Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 17.4%±3.4Lowest IL: 21.8% 22.8%±4.1Highest IL: 21.8%

Limestone Township and Jackson Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 17.7%±3.1Lowest IL: 17% 21.9%±3.3Highest IL: 17%

Limestone Township and Jackson Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 20%Lowest IL: 37.8% 25%Highest IL: 37.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.2%±1.3Lowest IL: 6.3% 3.9%±2.1Highest IL: 6.3%

Limestone Township and Jackson Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $104,292±$21kLowest 25% above IL $112,258±$19kHighest 35% above IL

Limestone Township and Jackson Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $271,500±$15kHighest 3% above IL $253,200±$25kLowest 4% below IL

Jackson Township and Limestone Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,481±$814Highest 16% above IL $1,097±$241Lowest 14% below IL

Jackson Township and Limestone Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $5,079Highest 4% below IL $4,648Lowest 12% below IL

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 24.2%±25.6Highest IL: 47.9% 2.2%±22.8Lowest IL: 47.9%

Jackson Township and Limestone Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 4.7%Lowest IL: 11.8% 5%Highest IL: 11.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 86.1%Lowest IL: 67.1% 91.9%Highest IL: 67.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 1990Highest 19 yrs newer than IL 1976Lowest 5 yrs newer than IL

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 30 minHighest 8% above IL 23 minLowest 16% below IL

Work from home 9.4%±4.2Lowest IL: 15.9% 9.5%±4.3Highest IL: 15.9%

Limestone Township and Jackson Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 4.5%Highest 2.4%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 19.3 miHighest 10.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.00Highest 0.13Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Joliet (16%)Kankakee (24%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Limestone TownshipFew work in Jackson Township

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 25%Highest 2.9%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 9.2 miHighest 1.7 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2 2

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 7.4Highest 4.8Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #33 of 384 in IL #146 of 384 in IL

School district Elwood CCSD 203Herscher CUSD 2

High school in town None in townNone in town

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.

Jackson Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Jackson Township’s Town Square.

Limestone Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Limestone Township’s Town Square.

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Bordering Jackson Township

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Joliet Township85,288 people · $189K homes

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Florence Township888 people · $293K homes

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Manhattan Township12,424 people · $347K homes

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Channahon Township10,769 people · $327K homes

Towns like Jackson Township

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Elm Grove Township2,954 people · $233K homes

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Pecatonica Township4,130 people · $186K homes

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Bonus Township4,363 people · $258K homes

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Rutland Township3,589 people · $226K homes

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.

Jackson Township vs Limestone Township

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

Limestone Township places higher on 10 of 20 IL lists

A typical home costs $220 more a month in Jackson Township

What daily life feels like in each

21 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Jackson Township and Limestone Township

Bordering Jackson Township

Towns like Jackson Township

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