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Proviso Township vs Elgin

26 miles apart. The biggest differences: typical home built (22 yrs in Proviso Township) and growth since 2010 (+6.4 pts in Elgin).

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Proviso Township, ILAn outdoors townCook County · 147,690 people
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Elgin, ILOne of the healthiest townsIllinois · 114,934 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.

Proviso TownshipAn outdoors town
Outdoors#107 most walkable in IL23 miles of trails across 57 parks and preserves HealthHealthier than 69%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates SchoolsBetter than 11%of IL districts All about Proviso Township →
ElginOne of the healthiest towns
HealthHealthier than 58%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates HistorySettled in 183512 places on the National Register Housing$340K typical home14% above the IL typical home All about Elgin →
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.

Typical home built22 yrs
Proviso Township’s homes are older
Elgin 1977Proviso Township 1955
Growth since 2010+6.4 pts
Elgin has grown faster since 2010
Elgin +6.1%Proviso Township -0.3%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $390 more a month in Elgin

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.

Proviso Township$2,030/mo
Typical home $284K (Census) · tax rate 2.28% · or rent about $1,268/mo · Housing →
Elgin$2,420/mo
Typical home $340K (Zillow) · tax rate 2.27% · or rent about $1,361/mo · Housing →

The difference: $390 a month, about $4,700 a year, between Elgin and Proviso 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

Proviso Township places higher on 11 of 20 IL lists

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.

Safety
–Proviso TownshipNot graded B−ElginSafer than 51% of U.S. towns
Schools
DProviso TownshipBetter than 11% of districts in the state –ElginNot graded
Health
B+Proviso TownshipHealthier than 69% of U.S. towns BElginHealthier than 58% of U.S. towns
11Proviso Township
9Elgin

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Fastest growingGrowth · 859 towns #397#122 Most conserved landOutdoors · 838 towns #457#228 Highest graduation rateSchools · 669 towns #621#497 Most activeHealth · 861 towns #512#671 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 862 towns #149#3 Lowest obesityHealth · 861 towns #199#337 Most walkableOutdoors · 862 towns #107#235 Most trailsOutdoors · 665 towns #174#268

Left end = #1 in Illinois. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Proviso Township’s rankings →

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
Proviso TownshipElgin
Snow a year42″32″
January low—14°F
July high—84°F
Growing season (days)—174d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)71st50th
Outdoors & history
Proviso TownshipElgin
Trails23 mi20 mi
Conserved land3.1%7.1%
Settled18501835
National Register places112
Archive photos—12
Famous people born here1—
Community
Proviso TownshipElgin
Library hours a week69 hrs71 hrs
Colleges in town—2
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

26 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Proviso TownshipElginProviso TownshipElgin
Proviso Township ↔ Elgin26 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.

Proviso TownshipElgin
People
Population 147,690Highest 114,934Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -0.3%Lowest +6.1%Highest
Median age 40.3±1Highest 3% above IL 36.7±1.3Lowest 6% below IL
Kids under 18 22.2%±1.2Lowest IL: 21.8% 25.3%±1.4Highest IL: 21.8%
Age 65+ 17.5%±0.8Highest IL: 17% 13.5%±1Lowest IL: 17%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 30.5%Highest IL: 37.8% 27%Lowest IL: 37.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.5%±0.6Lowest IL: 6.3% 6.1%±0.6Highest IL: 6.3%
Elgin and Proviso Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $82,097±$3kLowest about the IL average $90,282±$3kHighest 8% above IL
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $284,000±$5kHighest 8% above IL $273,000±$6kLowest 4% above IL
Proviso Township and Elgin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,268±$38Lowest about the IL average $1,361±$65Highest 7% above IL
Elgin and Proviso Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $6,477Highest 22% above IL $6,184Lowest 17% above IL
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 49.1%±4.4Highest IL: 47.9% 49%±5.1Lowest IL: 47.9%
Proviso Township and Elgin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 10.1%Highest IL: 11.8% 9.8%Lowest IL: 11.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 69.3%Lowest IL: 67.1% 71.9%Highest IL: 67.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1955Lowest 16 yrs older than IL 1977Highest 6 yrs newer than IL
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 29 minHighest 3% above IL 28 minLowest about the IL average
Work from home 13.7%±1.4Highest IL: 15.9% 12.8%±1.4Lowest IL: 15.9%
Proviso Township and Elgin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 13.4%Lowest 19.8%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.8 miLowest 14.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.16Highest 1.01Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Chicago (30%)Chicago (11%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ElginFew work in Proviso Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 3.1%Lowest 7.1%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 22.8 miHighest 19.7 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.8 miHighest 0.5 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 57Lowest 76Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 97.2Highest 76.9Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #316 of 384 in IL—
School district Proviso Area Exceptional Child · Region 06 West Cook ISC 2—
High school in town Proviso West High School—
Students per teacherat that high school 16.8 —
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.

Proviso Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Proviso Township’s Town Square.

Elgin neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Elgin’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Proviso Township

+ Compare
River Forest Township11,992 people · $687K homes
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River Forest11,992 people · $687K homes
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Lyons Township112,613 people · $364K homes
Y
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York Township127,667 people · $397K homes

Towns like Proviso Township

W
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Worth Township149,419 people · $250K homes
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Elgin Township104,350 people · $282K homes
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Addison Township87,658 people · $342K homes
B
+ Compare
Bloomingdale Township111,175 people · $327K homes
Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Illinois towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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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