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Rutledge Township vs Empire Township

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: size (31.4× in Empire Township) and street grid (6.6× in Empire Township).

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Rutledge Township, ILA small town of 127De Witt County · 127 people
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Empire Township, ILKnown for its schoolsMcLean County · 3,993 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.

Rutledge TownshipA small town of 127
Quiet strengthsRutledge Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Rutledge Township →
Empire TownshipKnown for its schools
Schools#111 for schools in ILof 384 towns HealthHealthier than 78%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Empire 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.

Size31.4×
Empire Township is the bigger place
Empire Township 3,993Rutledge Township 127
Street grid6.6×
Empire Township has the more walkable street grid
Empire Township 6.6Rutledge Township 1.0
Median age30.2 yrs
Rutledge Township skews older
Rutledge Township 70.1Empire Township 39.9
Home values+87%
Homes cost more in Rutledge Township
Rutledge Township $326,700Empire Township $174,600
Jobs per worker3.9×
Empire Township is more of a job hub
Empire Township 0.47Rutledge Township 0.12
Bachelor’s degree++27.9 pts
More adults in Empire Township have a degree
Empire Township 36.6%Rutledge Township 8.7%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $970 more a month in Rutledge 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.

Rutledge Township$2,200/mo
Typical home $327K (Census) · tax rate est. 1.8% · Housing →
Empire Township$1,240/mo
Typical home $175K (Census) · tax rate 2.21% · or rent about $837/mo · Housing →

The difference: $970 a month, about $11,600 a year, between Rutledge Township and Empire 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

Rutledge Township and Empire Township share a border

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Rutledge TownshipEmpire TownshipRutledge TownshipEmpire Township
Rutledge Township ↔ Empire Township5.5 miles apart · They share a border
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
–Rutledge TownshipNot graded A−Empire TownshipBetter than 79% of districts in the state
Health
–Rutledge TownshipNot graded A−Empire TownshipHealthier than 78% 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
Rutledge TownshipEmpire Township
Snow a year20″20″
January low16°F16°F
July high86°F86°F
Growing season (days)172d172d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)43rd47th
Outdoors & history
Rutledge TownshipEmpire Township
Trails—1 mi
Conserved land—0.1%
National Register places—1
Community
Rutledge TownshipEmpire 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.

Rutledge TownshipEmpire Township
People
Population 127Lowest 3,993Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census — -2.4%
Median age 70.1±18.8Highest 80% above IL 39.9±3.8Lowest about the IL average
Kids under 18 0%±29Lowest IL: 21.8% 24.5%±4.2Highest IL: 21.8%
Empire Township and Rutledge Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 54.3%±45.1Highest IL: 17% 17.7%±3.5Lowest IL: 17%
Rutledge Township and Empire Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 8.7%Lowest IL: 37.8% 36.6%Highest IL: 37.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±14.5Lowest IL: 6.3% 2.7%±1.2Highest IL: 6.3%
Empire Township and Rutledge Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $91,367±$10kHighest 10% above IL $87,896±$15kLowest 5% above IL
Rutledge Township and Empire Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $326,700±$111kHighest 24% above IL $174,600±$15kLowest 34% below IL
Rentmedian gross, monthly — $837±$37 34% below IL
Property taxmedian, yearly — $3,855 27% below IL
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent — 36.6%±18.4 IL: 47.9%
Below poverty line 0%Lowest IL: 11.8% 4.2%Highest IL: 11.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 100%Highest IL: 67.1% 79.5%Lowest IL: 67.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1938Lowest 33 yrs older than IL 1973Highest 2 yrs newer than IL
Getting to work
Average commuteone way — 23 min 18% below IL
Work from home 0%±17.6Lowest IL: 15.9% 17.1%±5Highest IL: 15.9%
Empire Township and Rutledge Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0%Lowest 14.3%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 28.8 miHighest 15.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.12Lowest 0.47Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Bloomington (14%)Bloomington (31%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Empire TownshipFew work in Rutledge Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 0.1%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.7 miHighest 0.5 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 2Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 1.0Lowest 6.6Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#111 of 384 in IL
School district —LeRoy CUSD 2
High school in town —LeRoy High School
Students per teacherat that high school — 10.0
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.

Rutledge Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Rutledge Township’s Town Square.

Empire Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Empire Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Rutledge Township and Empire Township

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

Bordering Rutledge Township

D
+ Compare
De Witt Township375 people · $157K homes
S
+ Compare
Santa Anna Township2,246 people · $146K homes
W
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Wilson Township127 people · $409K homes

Towns like Rutledge Township

F
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Fairfield Township120 people · $221K homes
D
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Duncan Township215 people · $223K homes
R
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Ruyle Township154 people
W
+ Compare
Walkerville Township86 people

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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