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Old Town Township vs Downs Township

Next-door neighbors in McLean County. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (3.3× in Downs Township) and home values (+51% in Old Town Township).

O ×
Old Town Township, ILOne of the healthiest townsMcLean County · 3,421 people
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Downs Township, ILOne of the healthiest townsMcLean County · 1,275 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.

Old Town TownshipOne of the healthiest towns
HealthHealthier than 92%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Old Town Township →
Downs TownshipOne of the healthiest towns
HealthHealthier than 88%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates SchoolsBetter than 84%of IL districts All about Downs 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.

Jobs per worker3.3×
Downs Township is more of a job hub
Downs Township 0.59Old Town Township 0.18
Home values+51%
Homes cost more in Old Town Township
Old Town Township $345,500Downs Township $229,100
Property tax bill+50%
Tax bills are bigger in Old Town Township
Old Town Township $7,524Downs Township $5,018
Street grid2×
Old Town Township has the more walkable street grid
Old Town Township 4.9Downs Township 2.5
Size2.7×
Old Town Township is the bigger place
Old Town Township 3,421Downs Township 1,275
Bachelor’s degree++12.9 pts
More adults in Old Town Township have a degree
Old Town Township 60.7%Downs Township 47.8%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $820 more a month in Old Town 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.

Old Town Township$2,440/mo
Typical home $346K (Census) · tax rate 2.18% · or rent about $637/mo · Housing →
Downs Township$1,620/mo
Typical home $229K (Census) · tax rate 2.19% · or rent about $1,308/mo · Housing →

The difference: $820 a month, about $9,800 a year, between Old Town Township and Downs 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

Old Town Township and Downs Township share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

Old Town TownshipDowns TownshipOld Town TownshipDowns Township
Old Town Township ↔ Downs Township6.5 miles apart · They share a border · Same county
Who commutes between them
7 Downs Township residents work in Old Town Township (1.1% of its workers)
Work & commute in Downs Township →
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
–Old Town TownshipNot graded A−Downs TownshipBetter than 84% of districts in the state
Health
AOld Town TownshipHealthier than 92% of U.S. towns ADowns TownshipHealthier than 88% of U.S. towns
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
Old Town TownshipDowns Township
Snow a year7″7″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)57th58th
Outdoors & history
Old Town TownshipDowns Township
Trails2 mi1 mi
Conserved land0%0%
Settled—1870
Community
Old Town TownshipDowns Township
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined10

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.

Old Town TownshipDowns Township
People
Population 3,421Highest 1,275Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +12.7%Highest +6.3%Lowest
Median age 44.3±4Highest 14% above IL 37.3±8.9Lowest 4% below IL
Old Town Township and Downs Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 30.5%±6.1Highest IL: 21.8% 29.3%±6Lowest IL: 21.8%
Old Town Township and Downs Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 18.3%±5.8Highest IL: 17% 16.9%±4.9Lowest IL: 17%
Old Town Township and Downs Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 60.7%Highest IL: 37.8% 47.8%Lowest IL: 37.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.9%±2Lowest IL: 6.3% 3.6%±1.8Highest IL: 6.3%
Downs Township and Old Town Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $148,516±$46kHighest 78% above IL $92,083±$29kLowest 10% above IL
Old Town Township and Downs Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $345,500±$40kHighest 31% above IL $229,100±$26kLowest 13% below IL
Rentmedian gross, monthly $637±$514Lowest 50% below IL $1,308±$186Highest about the IL average
Downs Township and Old Town Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $7,524Highest 42% above IL $5,018Lowest 5% below IL
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 14.6%±58Lowest IL: 47.9% 34.4%±58.3Highest IL: 47.9%
Downs Township and Old Town Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 7.4%Lowest IL: 11.8% 7.5%Highest IL: 11.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 95.4%Highest IL: 67.1% 90.4%Lowest IL: 67.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1990Highest 19 yrs newer than IL 1979Lowest 8 yrs newer than IL
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 26 minHighest 8% below IL 21 minLowest 24% below IL
Work from home 29.6%±9.3Highest IL: 15.9% 15.7%±5.8Lowest IL: 15.9%
Old Town Township and Downs Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0.6%Lowest 3.8%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 7.8 miLowest 9.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.18Lowest 0.59Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Bloomington (49%)Bloomington (50%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Downs Township1% work in Old Town Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 1.8 miHighest 1.3 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 4Highest 1Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 4.9Highest 2.5Lowest
Schools
School district —Tri Valley CUSD 3
High school in town —Tri-Valley High School
Students per teacherat that high school — 13.4
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.

Old Town Township neighborsTown Square →
T Weaver · 6d

Getting Around Old Town

1 neighbor in Old Town Township can answer.

Downs Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Downs Township’s Town Square.

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Bordering Old Town Township

+ Compare
Bloomington78,907 people · $203K homes
+ Compare
Bloomington City Township78,907 people · $203K homes
D
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Dawson Township534 people · $185K homes
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Bloomington Township2,623 people · $294K homes

Towns like Old Town Township

F
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Forsyth3,502 people · $281K homes
L
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Lakewood4,707 people · $553K homes
P
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Prairie Grove2,165 people · $468K homes
G
+ Compare
Gardner Township4,608 people · $249K 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.

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