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Seneca vs Dunham Township

74 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (12.3× in Dunham Township) and street grid (5.4× in Seneca).

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Seneca, ILA small town of 2,450Illinois · 2,450 people
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Dunham Township, ILKnown for its schoolsMcHenry County · 2,777 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.

SenecaA small town of 2,450
Quiet strengthsSeneca doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Seneca →
Dunham TownshipKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 3%of IL districts Health51% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Dunham Township →
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.

Trails12.3×
Dunham Township has more miles of trail
Dunham Township 7.4 miSeneca 0.6 mi
Street grid5.4×
Seneca has the more walkable street grid
Seneca 19.0Dunham Township 3.5
Property tax bill+60%
Tax bills are bigger in Dunham Township
Dunham Township $5,796Seneca $3,627
Jobs per worker+55%
Dunham Township is more of a job hub
Dunham Township 0.87Seneca 0.56
★ What stands out · 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.

Seneca$1,690/mo
Typical home $258K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.59% · or rent about $1,149/mo · Housing →
Dunham Township$1,780/mo
Typical home $247K (Census) · tax rate 2.34% · or rent about $1,165/mo · Housing →

The difference: $90 a month, about $1,000 a year, between Dunham Township and Seneca.

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
–SenecaNot graded D−Dunham TownshipBetter than 3% of districts in the state
Health
B−SenecaHealthier than 51% of U.S. towns B−Dunham TownshipHealthier than 49% 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
SenecaDunham Township
Snow a year25″32″
January low16°F—
July high85°F—
Growing season (days)184d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)73rd13th
Outdoors & history
SenecaDunham Township
Trails—7 mi
Conserved land—1.1%
Settled1854—
National Register places1—
Community
SenecaDunham Township
Library hours a week59 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.

Where they are

74 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

SenecaILDunham TownshipMcHenry County
Seneca ↔ Dunham Township74 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.

SenecaDunham Township
People
Population 2,450Lowest 2,777Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -0.8%Lowest -0.7%Highest
Median age 35.5±9.6Highest 9% below IL 29.9±6.3Lowest 23% below IL
Seneca and Dunham Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 28.6%±6.3Highest IL: 21.8% 27.3%±10.1Lowest IL: 21.8%
Seneca and Dunham Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 12.1%±3.2Lowest IL: 17% 15.2%±6.6Highest IL: 17%
Dunham Township and Seneca are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 14.9%Lowest IL: 37.8% 18.1%Highest IL: 37.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2%±1.4Highest IL: 6.3% 0.7%±1.3Lowest IL: 6.3%
Seneca and Dunham Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $86,830±$20kLowest 4% above IL $92,697±$45kHighest 11% above IL
Dunham Township and Seneca are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $227,500±$41kLowest 14% below IL $247,400±$55kHighest 6% below IL
Dunham Township and Seneca are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,149±$99Lowest 10% below IL $1,165±$220Highest 9% below IL
Dunham Township and Seneca are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $3,627Lowest 32% below IL $5,796Highest 9% above IL
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 18.5%±9.9Lowest IL: 47.9% 89.3%±37Highest IL: 47.9%
Below poverty line 22.2%Highest IL: 11.8% 0.9%Lowest IL: 11.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 81.3% IL: 67.1% 81.3% IL: 67.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1976Lowest 5 yrs newer than IL 1982Highest 11 yrs newer than IL
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 26 minLowest 6% below IL 27 minHighest about the IL average
Work from home 8.2%±4.3Highest IL: 15.9% 5.4%±5.6Lowest IL: 15.9%
Seneca and Dunham Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 5.4%Highest 4.7%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 24.8 miLowest 25.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.56Lowest 0.87Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Ottawa (11%)Chicago (10%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Dunham TownshipFew work in Seneca
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 1.7%Highest 1.1%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 0.6 miLowest 7.4 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.2 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 4Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 19.0Highest 3.5Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#374 of 384 in IL
School district —Harvard CUSD 50
High school in town —None in town
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.

Seneca neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Seneca’s Town Square.

Dunham Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Dunham Township’s Town Square.

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Set another town beside Seneca and Dunham Township

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Bordering Seneca

M
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Manlius Township6,100 people · $172K homes
B
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Brookfield Township1,038 people · $310K homes

Towns like Seneca

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Diamond2,984 people · $220K homes
Y
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Yellowhead Township2,570 people · $247K homes
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Hillcrest1,824 people · $164K homes
+ Compare
Mazon Township1,663 people · $214K 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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