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Palestine vs Reading Township

157 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (29.1× in Palestine) and jobs per worker (4.2× in Reading Township).

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Palestine, ILHomes around $93KIllinois · 1,430 people
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Reading Township, ILA regional job hubLivingston County · 1,722 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.

PalestineHomes around $93K
Housing$93K typical home69% below the IL typical home HistorySettled in 18113 places on the National Register Health76% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Palestine →
Reading TownshipA regional job hub
Work1,202 jobsbased in Reading Township, a regional job hub Health73% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates SchoolsBetter than 30%of IL districts All about Reading 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 grid29.1×
Palestine has the more walkable street grid
Palestine 111Reading Township 3.8
Jobs per worker4.2×
Reading Township is more of a job hub
Reading Township 1.52Palestine 0.36
Rent+61%
Rent runs higher in Reading Township
Reading Township $1,156Palestine $719
Age 65++13 pts
Reading Township has more people 65 and up
Reading Township 32.1%Palestine 19.1%
Growth since 2010+8.8 pts
Reading Township has grown faster since 2010
Reading Township -1.1%Palestine -9.9%
Property tax bill+29%
Tax bills are bigger in Palestine
Palestine $1,556Reading Township $1,202
★ 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.

Palestine$630/mo
Typical home $93K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.91% · or rent about $719/mo · Housing →
Reading Township$560/mo
Typical home $87K (Census) · tax rate 1.38% · or rent about $1,156/mo · Housing →

The difference: $80 a month, about $900 a year, between Palestine and Reading 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
–PalestineNot graded CReading TownshipBetter than 30% of districts in the state
Health
C−PalestineHealthier than 24% of U.S. towns CReading TownshipHealthier than 27% 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
PalestineReading Township
Snow a year12″26″
January low23°F16°F
July high87°F88°F
Growing season (days)193d199d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)56th71st
Outdoors & history
PalestineReading Township
Trails—2 mi
Conserved land—0.1%
Settled1811—
National Register places3—
Archive photos61
Famous people born here1—
Community
PalestineReading Township
Library hours a week34 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

157 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

PalestineILReading TownshipLivingston County
Palestine ↔ Reading Township157 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.

PalestineReading Township
People
Population 1,430Lowest 1,722Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -9.9%Lowest -1.1%Highest
Median age 45.6±5.4Highest 17% above IL 45±10.4Lowest 15% above IL
Palestine and Reading Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 22.2%±4.4Highest IL: 21.8% 17.7%±6.2Lowest IL: 21.8%
Palestine and Reading Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 19.1%±3.4Lowest IL: 17% 32.1%±6.3Highest IL: 17%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 12%Highest IL: 37.8% 11.7%Lowest IL: 37.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.8%±1.1 IL: 6.3% 1.8%±1.8 IL: 6.3%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $62,850±$12kHighest 25% below IL $54,259±$14kLowest 35% below IL
Palestine and Reading Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $81,300±$14kLowest 69% below IL $87,100±$27kHighest 67% below IL
Reading Township and Palestine are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $719±$274Lowest 44% below IL $1,156±$85Highest 9% below IL
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,556Highest 71% below IL $1,202Lowest 77% below IL
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 32.2%±25.6Lowest IL: 47.9% 49.4%±34.6Highest IL: 47.9%
Reading Township and Palestine are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 15%Lowest IL: 11.8% 16.6%Highest IL: 11.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 83.2%Highest IL: 67.1% 79.6%Lowest IL: 67.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1955Lowest 16 yrs older than IL 1958Highest 13 yrs older than IL
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 25 minLowest 11% below IL 27 minHighest about the IL average
Work from home 2.9%±2.4Lowest IL: 15.9% 5.6%±3.2Highest IL: 15.9%
Reading Township and Palestine are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 3.6%Lowest 13%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.8 miLowest 18.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.36Lowest 1.52Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Robinson (32%)Streator (24%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Reading TownshipFew work in Palestine
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 0.1%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 2.3 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 111Highest 3.8Lowest
Schools
School district —Woodland CUSD 5
High school in town —Woodland High School
Students per teacherat that high school — 11.0
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.

Palestine neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Palestine’s Town Square.

Reading Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Reading Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Palestine

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De Pue1,532 people · $59K 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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