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Springfield vs Woodside Township

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: trails (22.1× in Springfield) and size (9.9× in Springfield).

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Springfield, ILA history townIllinois · 113,330 people
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Woodside Township, ILOne of the healthiest townsSangamon County · 11,416 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.

SpringfieldA history town
HistorySettled in 182145 places on the National Register Work104,756 jobsbased in Springfield, a regional job hub College town3 collegesLincoln Land Community College All about Springfield →
Woodside TownshipOne of the healthiest towns
HealthHealthier than 67%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates SchoolsBetter than 31%of IL districts All about Woodside 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.

Trails22.1×
Springfield has more miles of trail
Springfield 46.5 miWoodside Township 2.1 mi
Size9.9×
Springfield is the bigger place
Springfield 113,330Woodside Township 11,416
Work in town+58.3 pts
More of Springfield’s workers stay in town
Springfield 63.5%Woodside Township 5.2%
Home values+24%
Homes cost more in Springfield
Springfield $162,100Woodside Township $130,300
Property tax bill+28%
Tax bills are bigger in Springfield
Springfield $3,362Woodside Township $2,619
Street grid+62%
Springfield has the more walkable street grid
Springfield 68.2Woodside Township 42.0
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $300 more a month in Springfield

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.

Springfield$1,200/mo
Typical home $172K (Zillow) · tax rate 2.07% · or rent about $975/mo · Housing →
Woodside Township$900/mo
Typical home $130K (Census) · tax rate 2.01% · or rent about $1,069/mo · Housing →

The difference: $300 a month, about $3,600 a year, between Springfield and Woodside 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

Woodside Township places higher on 11 of 19 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
D−SpringfieldSafer than 2% of U.S. towns –Woodside TownshipNot graded
Schools
–SpringfieldNot graded CWoodside TownshipBetter than 31% of districts in the state
Health
C+SpringfieldHealthier than 43% of U.S. towns B+Woodside TownshipHealthier than 67% of U.S. towns
8Springfield
11Woodside Township

Lists won, of 19 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most conserved landOutdoors · 838 towns #289#696 Most trailsOutdoors · 665 towns #196#502 Fewest smokersHealth · 861 towns #547#247 Fastest growingGrowth · 859 towns #488#261 HealthiestHealth · 861 towns #602#397 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 297 towns #158#92 Most walkableOutdoors · 862 towns #306#489 Lowest obesityHealth · 861 towns #737#576

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

Where they are

Springfield and Woodside Township share a border

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

SpringfieldWoodside TownshipSpringfieldWoodside Township
Springfield ↔ Woodside Township4.3 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
3,202 Woodside Township residents work in Springfield (62.7% of its workers)
543 Springfield residents work in Woodside Township (1.2% of its workers)
Work & commute in Woodside Township →
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
SpringfieldWoodside Township
Snow a year22″22″
January low20°F20°F
July high87°F87°F
Growing season (days)187d187d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)40th40th
Outdoors & history
SpringfieldWoodside Township
Trails47 mi2 mi
Conserved land5.5%0.9%
Settled1821—
National Register places45—
Archive photos—6
Community
SpringfieldWoodside Township
Library hours a week51 hrs—
Colleges in town3—
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.

SpringfieldWoodside Township
People
Population 113,330Highest 11,416Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -1.6%Lowest +2.1%Highest
Median age 41±0.6Lowest 5% above IL 43.4±3.2Highest 11% above IL
Woodside Township and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 20.8%±0.8Highest IL: 21.8% 18.9%±3.6Lowest IL: 21.8%
Springfield and Woodside Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 19.9%±0.8Lowest IL: 17% 22.2%±2.6Highest IL: 17%
Woodside Township and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 36.3%Highest IL: 37.8% 35.9%Lowest IL: 37.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.2%±0.5Highest IL: 6.3% 3.1%±1.1Lowest IL: 6.3%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $66,064±$3kLowest 21% below IL $73,007±$5kHighest 12% below IL
Woodside Township and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $162,100±$4kHighest 38% below IL $130,300±$11kLowest 51% below IL
Rentmedian gross, monthly $975±$21Lowest 23% below IL $1,069±$58Highest 16% below IL
Property taxmedian, yearly $3,362Highest 37% below IL $2,619Lowest 51% below IL
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 47.9%±3Highest IL: 47.9% 43.1%±11.2Lowest IL: 47.9%
Springfield and Woodside Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 16.8%Highest IL: 11.8% 11.6%Lowest IL: 11.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 64.3%Lowest IL: 67.1% 75.8%Highest IL: 67.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1972Highest 1 yr newer than IL 1957Lowest 14 yrs older than IL
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 17 minLowest 37% below IL 18 minHighest 36% below IL
Work from home 14.5%±1.5Highest IL: 15.9% 12.7%±2.9Lowest IL: 15.9%
Springfield and Woodside Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 63.5%Highest 5.2%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 4.3 mi 4.3 mi
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.24Highest 1.48Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Chicago (2%)Springfield (63%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 1% work in Woodside Township63% work in Springfield
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 5.5%Highest 0.9%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 46.5 miHighest 2.1 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.7 miHighest 0.2 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 54Highest 6Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 68.2Highest 42.0Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#368 of 384 in IL
School district —Springfield SD 186
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.

Springfield neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Springfield’s Town Square.

Woodside Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Woodside Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Springfield

C
+ Compare
Capital Township111,650 people · $163K homes
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Springfield Township5,522 people · $91K homes
C
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Curran Township1,625 people · $245K homes
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Ball Township7,571 people · $299K homes

Towns like Springfield

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Peoria112,169 people · $156K homes
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Proviso Township147,690 people · $284K homes
R
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Rich Township74,330 people · $224K homes
B
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Bloom Township83,966 people · $180K 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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