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Preston Township vs German Township

Next-door neighbors in Richland County. The biggest differences: property tax bill (2.8× in German Township) and household income (2× in German Township).

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Preston Township, ILA small town of 1,601Richland County · 1,601 people
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German Township, ILA small town of 271Richland County · 271 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.

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 →
German TownshipA small town of 271
Quiet strengthsGerman Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about German 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.

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $670 more a month in German 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.

Preston Township$770/mo
Typical home $123K (Census) · tax rate 1.19% · or rent about $617/mo · Housing →
German Township$1,440/mo
Typical home $210K (Census) · tax rate 1.96% · Housing →

The difference: $670 a month, about $8,100 a year, between German Township and Preston 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

Preston Township and German Township share a border

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Preston TownshipGerman TownshipPreston TownshipGerman Township
Preston Township ↔ German Township6.1 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
Preston TownshipGerman Township
Snow a year11″11″
January low21°F21°F
July high87°F87°F
Growing season (days)189d189d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)62nd62nd
Outdoors & history
Preston TownshipGerman Township
Trails12 mi5 mi
Conserved land0%0%
Community
Preston TownshipGerman 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.

Preston TownshipGerman Township
People
Population 1,601Highest 271Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -5.7% —
Median age 44.8±15.4Lowest 15% above IL 59.3±15.9Highest 52% above IL
German Township and Preston Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 22.4%±6.2Highest IL: 21.8% 21%±16.3Lowest IL: 21.8%
Preston Township and German Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 15.6%±4.2Lowest IL: 17% 33.9%±11.5Highest IL: 17%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 23.3%Lowest IL: 37.8% 37.5%Highest IL: 37.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±1.1Lowest IL: 6.3% 2.2%±6Highest IL: 6.3%
German Township and Preston Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $53,941±$5kLowest 35% below IL $110,500±$8kHighest 33% above IL
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $123,100±$33kLowest 53% below IL $209,500±$41kHighest 20% below IL
Rentmedian gross, monthly $617±$103 52% below IL —
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,468Lowest 72% below IL $4,107Highest 22% below IL
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 3.4%±38.4 IL: 47.9% —
Below poverty line 9.2%Highest IL: 11.8% 0%Lowest IL: 11.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 76.8%Lowest IL: 67.1% 91.7%Highest IL: 67.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1976Lowest 5 yrs newer than IL 1981Highest 10 yrs newer than IL
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 23 minHighest 18% below IL 16 minLowest 42% below IL
Work from home 6.6%±5.7Highest IL: 15.9% 0%±8.8Lowest IL: 15.9%
Preston Township and German 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 0.7%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 21.8 miHighest 20.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.25Highest 0.12Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Olney (29%)Olney (29%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in German TownshipFew work in Preston Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 12.4 miHighest 4.9 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miHighest 0.1 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 3.6Highest 2.0Lowest
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.

Preston Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Preston Township’s Town Square.

German Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to German Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Preston Township

Towns like Preston 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.

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