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.

Down paymentRate%

Virden$830/mo

Typical home $125K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.75% · or rent about $864/mo · Housing →

Earl Township$1,130/mo

Typical home $158K (Census) · tax rate 2.25% · or rent about $988/mo · Housing →

The difference: $290 a month, about $3,500 a year, between Earl Township and Virden.

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

Virden places higher on 13 of 16 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

CVirdenSafer than 33% of U.S. towns –Earl TownshipNot graded

Schools

–VirdenNot graded C+Earl TownshipBetter than 39% of districts in the state

Health

B−VirdenHealthier than 52% of U.S. towns B−Earl TownshipHealthier than 47% of U.S. towns

13Virden

1Earl Township

Lists won, of 16 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most walkableOutdoors · 862 towns #104#831 Shortest commuteGetting around · 862 towns #362#717 Most remote workersWork · 849 towns #447#762 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 862 towns #800#494 Lowest property taxCost of living · 860 towns #80#339 Most affordableCost of living · 861 towns #95#298 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 861 towns #202#342 Cheapest rentCost of living · 840 towns #223#358

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

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

VirdenEarl Township

Snow a year16″30″

January low21°F —

July high87°F —

Growing season (days)205d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)35th 21st

Outdoors & history

VirdenEarl Township

Trails—1 mi

Conserved land—0%

Archive photos1 —

Community

VirdenEarl Township

Library hours a week38 hrs 36 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

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

152 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

VirdenIL Earl TownshipLaSalle County

Virden ↔ Earl Township152 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.

Only big differences vs Illinois average

VirdenEarl Township

People

Population 3,171Highest 2,574Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -5.7%Highest -6.3%Lowest

Median age 36.7±4.1Highest 6% below IL 36.4±5Lowest 7% below IL

Virden and Earl Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 19.8%±5Lowest IL: 21.8% 23.5%±3.7Highest IL: 21.8%

Earl Township and Virden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 16.7%±3.9Highest IL: 17% 15.6%±2.2Lowest IL: 17%

Virden and Earl Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 13.5%Highest IL: 37.8% 11.9%Lowest IL: 37.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.4%±2.9Highest IL: 6.3% 2.5%±1Lowest IL: 6.3%

Virden and Earl Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $80,577±$16kHighest 3% below IL $68,277±$12kLowest 18% below IL

Virden and Earl Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $101,300±$10kLowest 62% below IL $158,400±$8kHighest 40% below IL

Rentmedian gross, monthly $864±$168Lowest 32% below IL $988±$146Highest 22% below IL

Earl Township and Virden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,771Lowest 67% below IL $3,562Highest 33% below IL

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 31%±15.9Lowest IL: 47.9% 67.3%±24Highest IL: 47.9%

Earl Township and Virden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 10.2%Lowest IL: 11.8% 14.9%Highest IL: 11.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 66.8%Highest IL: 67.1% 66%Lowest IL: 67.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 1957Lowest 14 yrs older than IL 1971Highest same as IL

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 24 minLowest 13% below IL 31 minHighest 12% above IL

Work from home 10.3%±4.8Highest IL: 15.9% 4.5%±2.6Lowest IL: 15.9%

Virden and Earl Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 9%Highest 8.1%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 20.8 miLowest 28.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.48Highest 0.34Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Springfield (32%)Ottawa (9%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Earl TownshipFew work in Virden

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.2%Highest 0%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.2 miLowest 0.7 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 98.6Highest 4.4Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#239 of 384 in IL

School district —Earlville CUSD 9

High school in town —Earlville Jr/Sr High School

Students per teacherat that high school — 7.5

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.

Virden neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Virden’s Town Square.

Earl Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Earl Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Virden and Earl Township

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

Bordering Virden

+ Compare

Virden Township3,305 people · $107K homes

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Auburn Township5,866 people · $151K homes

Towns like Virden

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Sullivan4,348 people · $103K homes

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Abingdon3,443 people · $100K homes

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Momence3,291 people · $155K homes

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Moweaqua Township2,082 people · $117K 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.

Virden vs Earl Township

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $290 more a month in Earl Township

Virden places higher on 13 of 16 IL lists

What daily life feels like in each

152 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Virden and Earl Township

Bordering Virden

Towns like Virden

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