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Malden vs Eastern Township

239 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (38× in Malden) and average commute (24 min in Malden).

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Malden, ILA small town of 460Illinois · 460 people
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Eastern Township, ILA regional job hubFranklin County · 600 people
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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.

MaldenA small town of 460
Quiet strengthsMalden doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Malden →
Eastern TownshipA regional job hub
Work439 jobsbased in Eastern Township, a regional job hub All about Eastern 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.

Street grid38×
Malden has the more walkable street grid
Malden 114Eastern Township 3.0
Average commute24 min
Malden has the shorter commute
Eastern Township 50 minMalden 26 min
Jobs per worker3.6×
Eastern Township is more of a job hub
Eastern Township 1.99Malden 0.55
Property tax bill+56%
Tax bills are bigger in Malden
Malden $2,061Eastern Township $1,319
Typical home built22 yrs
Malden’s homes are older
Eastern Township 1983Malden 1961
Age 65++9 pts
Eastern Township has more people 65 and up
Eastern Township 18.8%Malden 9.8%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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.

Malden$760/mo
Typical home $113K (Census) · tax rate 1.83% · or rent about $1,014/mo · Housing →
Eastern Township$800/mo
Typical home $132K (Census) · tax rate 1.00% · or rent about $1,000/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

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.

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.

Schools
–MaldenNot graded BEastern TownshipBetter than 59% of districts in the state
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
MaldenEastern Township
Snow a year29″13″
January low14°F22°F
July high85°F89°F
Growing season (days)177d190d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)27th64th
Outdoors & history
MaldenEastern Township
Trails—2 mi
Conserved land—0%
Community
MaldenEastern 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.

Where they are

239 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

MaldenILEastern TownshipFranklin County
Malden ↔ Eastern Township239 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.

MaldenEastern Township
People
Population 460Lowest 600Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census — +1.2%
Median age 34.3±8.5Highest 12% below IL 33.9±4.6Lowest 13% below IL
Malden and Eastern Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 30.7%±7.6Lowest IL: 21.8% 31.8%±8.1Highest IL: 21.8%
Eastern Township and Malden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 9.8%±4.6Lowest IL: 17% 18.8%±0.8Highest IL: 17%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 13% IL: 37.8% 13% IL: 37.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0.9%±1.4Lowest IL: 6.3% 3.5%±1.9Highest IL: 6.3%
Eastern Township and Malden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $79,107±$12kHighest 5% below IL $60,781±$21kLowest 27% below IL
Malden and Eastern Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $112,500±$8kLowest 57% below IL $132,200±$17kHighest 50% below IL
Eastern Township and Malden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,014±$249Highest 20% below IL $1,000±$489Lowest 22% below IL
Malden and Eastern Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,061Highest 61% below IL $1,319Lowest 75% below IL
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 21.1%±99Lowest IL: 47.9% 46.9%±61.7Highest IL: 47.9%
Eastern Township and Malden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 19.6%Highest IL: 11.8% 18%Lowest IL: 11.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 86.5%Highest IL: 67.1% 84.8%Lowest IL: 67.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1961Lowest 10 yrs older than IL 1983Highest 12 yrs newer than IL
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 26 minLowest 7% below IL 50 minHighest 78% above IL
Work from home 1.9%±2.8Lowest IL: 15.9% 6.9%±4.8Highest IL: 15.9%
Eastern Township and Malden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0.7%Lowest 4.1%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.8 miLowest 21.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.55Lowest 1.99Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Princeton (33%)Marion (12%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Eastern TownshipFew work in Malden
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 2.0 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.1 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 114Highest 3.0Lowest
Schools
School district —Akin CCSD 91
High school in town —None 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.

Malden neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Malden’s Town Square.

Eastern Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Eastern Township’s Town Square.

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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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