Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Mountain Township vs Independence Township

Next-door neighbors in Saline County. The biggest differences: age 65+ (+29.2 pts in Mountain Township) and kids under 18 (+22.6 pts in Independence Township).

×
Mountain Township, ILAn outdoors townSaline County · 262 people
×
Independence Township, ILOne of the healthiest townsSaline County · 1,050 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.

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 $850 more a month in Mountain 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.

Mountain Township$2,040/mo
Typical home $308K (Census) · tax rate 1.65% · Housing →
Independence Township$1,190/mo
Typical home $169K (Census) · tax rate 2.16% · Housing →

The difference: $850 a month, about $10,300 a year, between Mountain Township and Independence 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

Mountain Township and Independence Township share a border

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Mountain TownshipIndependence TownshipMountain TownshipIndependence Township
Mountain Township ↔ Independence Township6.2 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
Mountain TownshipIndependence Township
Snow a year3″7″
January low22°F26°F
July high86°F88°F
Growing season (days)181d189d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)81st81st
Outdoors & history
Mountain TownshipIndependence Township
Conserved land39.6%13.4%
Community
Mountain TownshipIndependence 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.

Mountain TownshipIndependence Township
People
Population 262Lowest 1,050Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census — +5.7%
Median age 54.8±27.8Highest 41% above IL 39.8±14.4Lowest about the IL average
Mountain Township and Independence Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 4.6%±14.6Lowest IL: 21.8% 27.2%±6Highest IL: 21.8%
Age 65+ 45%±7Highest IL: 17% 15.8%±3Lowest IL: 17%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 40.2%Highest IL: 37.8% 34.7%Lowest IL: 37.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 13.7%±19.4Highest IL: 6.3% 5.2%±3.9Lowest IL: 6.3%
Mountain Township and Independence Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $112,841±$73kHighest 35% above IL $79,375±$32kLowest 5% below IL
Mountain Township and Independence Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $308,300±$171kHighest 17% above IL $168,500±$19kLowest 36% below IL
Mountain Township and Independence Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $5,095Highest 4% below IL $3,632Lowest 31% below IL
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent — 100%±100 IL: 47.9%
Below poverty line 0%Lowest IL: 11.8% 1.8%Highest IL: 11.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 100%Highest IL: 67.1% 82.5%Lowest IL: 67.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1998Highest 27 yrs newer than IL 1990Lowest 19 yrs newer than IL
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 39 minHighest 41% above IL 23 minLowest 18% below IL
Work from home 0%±8.6Lowest IL: 15.9% 5%±5.3Highest IL: 15.9%
Independence Township and Mountain Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0%Lowest 1.5%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 28.3 miHighest 22.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.11Lowest 0.30Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Harrisburg (30%)Harrisburg (26%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Independence TownshipFew work in Mountain Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 39.6%Highest 13.4%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 22.5 miHighest 17.2 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.5 mi 0.5 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 1.1Lowest 1.9Highest
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.

Mountain Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Mountain Township’s Town Square.

Independence Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Independence Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Mountain Township and Independence Township

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Mountain Township

Towns like Mountain 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.

Post to Mountain Township

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in