Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Orel Township vs Preston Township

43 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (6.2× in Preston Township) and jobs per worker (+84% in Orel Township).

×
Orel Township, ILOne of the healthiest townsWayne County · 1,452 people
×
Preston Township, ILA small town of 1,601Richland County · 1,601 people
Swap order
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.

Orel TownshipOne of the healthiest towns
Health63% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Orel 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 differ most

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

Trails6.2×
Preston Township has more miles of trail
Preston Township 12.4 miOrel Township 2.0 mi
Jobs per worker+84%
Orel Township is more of a job hub
Orel Township 0.46Preston Township 0.25
Average commute4 min
Preston Township has the shorter commute
Orel Township 27 minPreston Township 23 min
★ 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.

Orel Township$720/mo
Typical home $110K (Census) · tax rate 1.49% · or rent about $688/mo · Housing →
Preston Township$770/mo
Typical home $123K (Census) · tax rate 1.19% · or rent about $617/mo · Housing →

The difference: $50 a month, about $600 a year, between Preston Township and Orel 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.

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
BOrel TownshipBetter than 60% of districts in the state –Preston TownshipNot graded
Health
C+Orel TownshipHealthier than 37% of U.S. towns C+Preston TownshipHealthier than 39% 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
Orel TownshipPreston Township
Snow a year13″11″
January low22°F21°F
July high89°F87°F
Growing season (days)190d189d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)74th62nd
Outdoors & history
Orel TownshipPreston Township
Trails2 mi12 mi
Conserved land0%0%
Community
Orel TownshipPreston Township
Library hours a week20 hrs—
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

43 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Orel TownshipWayne CountyPreston TownshipRichland County
Orel Township ↔ Preston Township43 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.

Orel TownshipPreston Township
People
Population 1,452Lowest 1,601Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -6.7%Lowest -5.7%Highest
Median age 43.7±8.9Lowest 12% above IL 44.8±15.4Highest 15% above IL
Preston Township and Orel Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 19.6%±4.5Lowest IL: 21.8% 22.4%±6.2Highest IL: 21.8%
Preston Township and Orel Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 20.5%±4Highest IL: 17% 15.6%±4.2Lowest IL: 17%
Orel Township and Preston Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 17.9%Lowest IL: 37.8% 23.3%Highest IL: 37.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.8%±2Highest IL: 6.3% 0%±1.1Lowest IL: 6.3%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $48,542±$12kLowest 42% below IL $53,941±$5kHighest 35% below IL
Preston Township and Orel Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $110,300±$12kLowest 58% below IL $123,100±$33kHighest 53% below IL
Preston Township and Orel Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $688±$140Highest 46% below IL $617±$103Lowest 52% below IL
Orel Township and Preston Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,644Highest 69% below IL $1,468Lowest 72% below IL
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 19%±11.6Highest IL: 47.9% 3.4%±38.4Lowest IL: 47.9%
Orel Township and Preston Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 11%Highest IL: 11.8% 9.2%Lowest IL: 11.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 74.7%Lowest IL: 67.1% 76.8%Highest IL: 67.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1980Highest 9 yrs newer than IL 1976Lowest 5 yrs newer than IL
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 27 minHighest 3% below IL 23 minLowest 18% below IL
Work from home 5.6%±4.2Lowest IL: 15.9% 6.6%±5.7Highest IL: 15.9%
Preston Township and Orel Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 6.8%Highest 0.6%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 23.3 miHighest 21.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.46Highest 0.25Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Mount Vernon (16%)Olney (29%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Preston TownshipFew work in Orel Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 2.0 miLowest 12.4 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.3 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 3.7Highest 3.6Lowest
Schools
School district Wayne City CUSD 100—
High school in town Wayne City High School—
Students per teacherat that high school 9.2 —
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.

Orel Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Orel Township’s Town Square.

Preston Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Preston Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Orel Township and Preston Township

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

Bordering Orel Township

B
+ Compare
Big Mound Township1,168 people · $97K homes
A
+ Compare
Arrington Township366 people · $155K homes
F
+ Compare
Four Mile Township460 people · $81K homes
C
+ Compare
Crouch Township427 people · $155K homes

Towns like Orel Township

T
+ Compare
Toulon1,485 people · $96K homes
+ Compare
Mount Carroll1,501 people · $87K homes
P
+ Compare
Prophetstown1,903 people · $117K homes
W
+ Compare
Warsaw1,518 people · $96K 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.

Post to Orel 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