Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Ricks Township vs Bear Creek Township

Next-door neighbors in Christian County. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (4.1× in Ricks Township) and street grid (+69% in Ricks Township).

×
Ricks Township, ILKnown for its schoolsChristian County · 1,177 people
×
Bear Creek Township, ILA small town of 464Christian County · 464 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.

Ricks TownshipKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 31%of IL districts All about Ricks Township →
Bear Creek TownshipA small town of 464
Quiet strengthsBear Creek Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Bear Creek 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 worker4.1×
Ricks Township is more of a job hub
Ricks Township 0.45Bear Creek Township 0.11
Street grid+69%
Ricks Township has the more walkable street grid
Ricks Township 4.4Bear Creek Township 2.6
Average commute6 min
Bear Creek Township has the shorter commute
Ricks Township 25 minBear Creek Township 19 min
Size2.5×
Ricks Township is the bigger place
Ricks Township 1,177Bear Creek Township 464
Typical home built17 yrs
Bear Creek Township’s homes are older
Ricks Township 1959Bear Creek Township 1942
Property tax bill+16%
Tax bills are bigger in Bear Creek Township
Bear Creek Township $1,890Ricks Township $1,636
★ What stands out · Where they are

Ricks Township and Bear Creek Township share a border

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Ricks TownshipBear Creek TownshipRicks TownshipBear Creek Township
Ricks Township ↔ Bear Creek Township5.4 miles apart · They share a border · Same county
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.

Ricks Township$680/mo
Typical home $104K (Census) · tax rate 1.57% · or rent about $766/mo · Housing →
Bear Creek Township$730/mo
Typical home $110K (Census) · tax rate 1.72% · or rent about $720/mo · Housing →

The difference: $50 a month, about $600 a year, between Bear Creek Township and Ricks 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
CRicks TownshipBetter than 31% of districts in the state –Bear Creek TownshipNot graded
Health
BRicks TownshipHealthier than 60% of U.S. towns –Bear Creek TownshipNot graded
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
Ricks TownshipBear Creek Township
Snow a year16″14″
January low19°F—
July high86°F—
Growing season (days)190d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)45th45th
Outdoors & history
Ricks TownshipBear Creek Township
Trails6 mi4 mi
Conserved land0.3%0.6%
National Register places—1
Archive photos12
Community
Ricks TownshipBear Creek Township
Library hours a week29 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.

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.

Ricks TownshipBear Creek Township
People
Population 1,177Highest 464Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -4.1% —
Median age 48.9±7.6Lowest 25% above IL 51.4±8.5Highest 32% above IL
Bear Creek Township and Ricks Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 18.3%±5.9Highest IL: 21.8% 14.7%±3.7Lowest IL: 21.8%
Ricks Township and Bear Creek Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 21.9%±2.7Lowest IL: 17% 26.7%±10Highest IL: 17%
Bear Creek Township and Ricks Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 15.6%Highest IL: 37.8% 14.6%Lowest IL: 37.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.7%±2.8Lowest IL: 6.3% 6%±3Highest IL: 6.3%
Bear Creek Township and Ricks Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $78,864±$20kHighest 5% below IL $58,295±$5kLowest 30% below IL
Ricks Township and Bear Creek Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $104,200±$17kLowest 60% below IL $109,700±$22kHighest 58% below IL
Bear Creek Township and Ricks Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $766±$50Highest 40% below IL $720±$193Lowest 43% below IL
Ricks Township and Bear Creek Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,636Lowest 69% below IL $1,890Highest 64% below IL
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 44.8%±65.5Highest IL: 47.9% 25%±100Lowest IL: 47.9%
Ricks Township and Bear Creek Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 14.7%Highest IL: 11.8% 5.8%Lowest IL: 11.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 92.4%Highest IL: 67.1% 91.1%Lowest IL: 67.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1959Highest 12 yrs older than IL 1942Lowest 29 yrs older than IL
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 25 minHighest 9% below IL 19 minLowest 32% below IL
Work from home 4.3%±2.6Lowest IL: 15.9% 6.2%±5.3Highest IL: 15.9%
Bear Creek Township and Ricks Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 2.8%Highest 0.9%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 28.3 miHighest 25.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.45Highest 0.11Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Taylorville (22%)Springfield (21%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Bear Creek TownshipFew work in Ricks Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0.3%Lowest 0.6%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 5.9 miHighest 4.4 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miHighest 0.1 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 4.4Highest 2.6Lowest
Schools
School district Morrisonville CUSD 1—
High school in town Morrisonville High School—
Students per teacherat that high school 10.1 —
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.

Ricks Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ricks Township’s Town Square.

Bear Creek Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Bear Creek Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Ricks Township and Bear Creek Township

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

Bordering Ricks Township

+ Compare
Greenwood Township175 people · $272K homes
R
+ Compare
Rountree Township152 people · $156K homes

Towns like Ricks Township

M
+ Compare
Morrisonville926 people · $96K homes
+ Compare
Newman Township1,107 people · $111K homes
V
+ Compare
Viola899 people · $120K homes
G
+ Compare
Greene Township1,391 people · $136K 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 Ricks 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