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Rockvale Township vs Byron Township

Next-door neighbors in Ogle County. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (4.2× in Rockvale Township) and median age (14.8 yrs in Rockvale Township).

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Rockvale Township, ILA regional job hubOgle County · 1,649 people
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Byron Township, ILKnown for its schoolsOgle County · 6,410 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.

Rockvale TownshipA regional job hub
Work1,565 jobsbased in Rockvale Township, a regional job hub All about Rockvale Township →
Byron TownshipKnown for its schools
Schools#40 for schools in ILof 384 towns HealthHealthier than 60%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates HistorySettled in 183512 archive photos, postcards and papers All about Byron 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 worker4.2×
Rockvale Township is more of a job hub
Rockvale Township 2.12Byron Township 0.50
Median age14.8 yrs
Rockvale Township skews older
Rockvale Township 53.9Byron Township 39.1
Street grid2.2×
Byron Township has the more walkable street grid
Byron Township 6.9Rockvale Township 3.2
Size3.9×
Byron Township is the bigger place
Byron Township 6,410Rockvale Township 1,649
Kids under 18+10.7 pts
Byron Township has more kids
Byron Township 25.4%Rockvale Township 14.7%
Homeowners+12.8 pts renters
Byron Township has more renters
Rockvale Township 91.7%Byron Township 78.9%
★ What stands out · Where they are

Rockvale Township and Byron Township share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

Rockvale TownshipByron TownshipRockvale TownshipByron Township
Rockvale Township ↔ Byron Township6.8 miles apart · They share a border · Same county
Who commutes between them
122 Byron Township residents work in Rockvale Township (4.2% of its workers)
Work & commute in Byron Township →
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
–Rockvale TownshipNot graded AByron TownshipBetter than 86% of districts in the state
Health
B−Rockvale TownshipHealthier than 46% of U.S. towns BByron TownshipHealthier than 60% of U.S. towns
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.

Rockvale Township$1,630/mo
Typical home $234K (Census) · tax rate 2.06% · Housing →
Byron Township$1,600/mo
Typical home $235K (Census) · tax rate 1.92% · or rent about $947/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

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.

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
Rockvale TownshipByron Township
Snow a year32″37″
January low—15°F
July high—84°F
Growing season (days)—174d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)62nd62nd
Outdoors & history
Rockvale TownshipByron Township
Trails20 mi12 mi
Conserved land5.7%2.7%
Settled—1835
National Register places1—
Archive photos—12
Famous people born here—8
Community
Rockvale TownshipByron Township
Library hours a week—63 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.

Rockvale TownshipByron Township
People
Population 1,649Lowest 6,410Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -2%Lowest -1.1%Highest
Median age 53.9±8Highest 38% above IL 39.1±2.9Lowest about the IL average
Kids under 18 14.7%±5.6Lowest IL: 21.8% 25.4%±3.5Highest IL: 21.8%
Age 65+ 22.3%±5.8Highest IL: 17% 17.4%±3Lowest IL: 17%
Rockvale Township and Byron Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 27.1%Lowest IL: 37.8% 36.2%Highest IL: 37.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.9%±1.8Lowest IL: 6.3% 6.7%±1.9Highest IL: 6.3%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $125,156±$39kHighest 50% above IL $90,069±$14kLowest 8% above IL
Rockvale Township and Byron Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $234,200±$46kLowest 11% below IL $234,500±$13kHighest 11% below IL
Byron Township and Rockvale Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly — $947±$92 26% below IL
Property taxmedian, yearly $4,832Highest 9% below IL $4,504Lowest 15% below IL
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 0%±46.4Lowest IL: 47.9% 37.1%±17.8Highest IL: 47.9%
Byron Township and Rockvale Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 2.5%Lowest IL: 11.8% 6.1%Highest IL: 11.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 91.7%Highest IL: 67.1% 78.9%Lowest IL: 67.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1991Highest 20 yrs newer than IL 1988Lowest 17 yrs newer than IL
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 30 minHighest 9% above IL 28 minLowest about the IL average
Work from home 7.2%±4.9Lowest IL: 15.9% 10.8%±3.6Highest IL: 15.9%
Byron Township and Rockvale Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 5.6%Lowest 11.6%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 18.8 miHighest 15.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.12Highest 0.50Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Rockford (23%)Rockford (23%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Byron Township4% work in Rockvale Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 5.7%Highest 2.7%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 20.0 miHighest 12.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.6 miHighest 0.3 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Lowest 5Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 3.2Lowest 6.9Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#40 of 384 in IL
School district —Ogle Co Education Cooperative · Byron CUSD 226
High school in town —Byron High School 9-12
Students per teacherat that high school — 11.9
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.

Rockvale Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Rockvale Township’s Town Square.

Byron Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Byron Township’s Town Square.

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Bordering Rockvale Township

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Leaf River Township1,125 people · $178K homes
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Marion Township3,884 people · $223K homes
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Mount Morris Township3,669 people · $121K homes
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Oregon-Nashua Township4,769 people · $147K homes

Towns like Rockvale Township

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Alden Township1,502 people · $296K homes
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Andalusia Township2,318 people · $219K homes
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Rock Grove Township1,537 people · $259K homes
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Hartland Township1,566 people · $364K 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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