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West Township vs Mound Township

Next-door neighbors in Effingham County. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (7.4× in Mound Township) and trails (5.6× in Mound Township).

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West Township, ILA small town of 376Effingham County · 376 people
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Mound Township, ILKnown for its schoolsEffingham County · 3,532 people
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.

West TownshipA small town of 376
Quiet strengthsWest Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about West 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.

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $560 more a month in West 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.

West Township$1,420/mo
Typical home $216K (Census) · tax rate 1.59% · Housing →
Mound Township$860/mo
Typical home $135K (Census) · tax rate 1.36% · or rent about $782/mo · Housing →

The difference: $560 a month, about $6,700 a year, between West Township and Mound 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

West Township and Mound Township share a border

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

West TownshipMound TownshipWest TownshipMound Township
West Township ↔ Mound Township6.5 miles apart · They share a border · Same county
Who commutes between them
8 West Township residents work in Mound Township (3.7% of its workers)
Work & commute in West 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.

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
West TownshipMound Township
Snow a year15″16″
January low20°F—
July high89°F—
Growing season (days)191d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)57th57th
Outdoors & history
West TownshipMound Township
Trails1 mi6 mi
Conserved land0%1.2%
Community
West TownshipMound Township
Library hours a week—27 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.

West TownshipMound Township
People
Population 376Lowest 3,532Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census — -2%
Median age 35.6±13.8Lowest 9% below IL 43.6±5.6Highest 12% above IL
Mound Township and West Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 22.3%±12.7Lowest IL: 21.8% 22.9%±4Highest IL: 21.8%
Mound Township and West Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 18.1%±13.7Lowest IL: 17% 21.5%±4.2Highest IL: 17%
Mound Township and West Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 17.4%Lowest IL: 37.8% 22.2%Highest IL: 37.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.4%±5.4Lowest IL: 6.3% 5%±2.8Highest IL: 6.3%
Mound Township and West Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $95,875±$44kHighest 15% above IL $75,313±$19kLowest 10% below IL
West Township and Mound Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $215,600±$185kHighest 18% below IL $135,000±$16kLowest 49% below IL
West Township and Mound Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly — $782±$87 39% below IL
Property taxmedian, yearly $3,430Highest 35% below IL $1,837Lowest 65% below IL
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent — 42.4%±20.2 IL: 47.9%
Below poverty line 2.1%Lowest IL: 11.8% 10.9%Highest IL: 11.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 100%Highest IL: 67.1% 82.3%Lowest IL: 67.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1996Highest 25 yrs newer than IL 1974Lowest 3 yrs newer than IL
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 25 minHighest 10% below IL 21 minLowest 25% below IL
Work from home 25.4%±21.6Highest IL: 15.9% 8.6%±5.6Lowest IL: 15.9%
West Township and Mound Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0%Lowest 17.4%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 16.8 miHighest 12.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.08Lowest 0.59Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Effingham (27%)Effingham (29%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 4% work in Mound TownshipFew work in West Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 1.2%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 1.0 miLowest 5.6 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.2 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 3Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 2.0Lowest 7.2Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#166 of 384 in IL
School district —Altamont CUSD 10
High school in town —Altamont High School
Students per teacherat that high school — 10.8
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.

West Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to West Township’s Town Square.

Mound Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Mound Township’s Town Square.

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Bordering West Township

Towns like West Township

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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