LeRoy Commercial Historic District · National Register of Historic Places
Empire’s story
Empire in pictures
1 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →EmpireIL
A town of 3,993. Public schools that outperform most of Illinois.
Population
3,993
−2.4% since 2010
Median home value
$175K
Census ACS
Household income
$88K
median
Median age
39.9
years
Jobs based here
825
A commuter town
What makes Empire stand out
The 2 things Empire does most differently from other towns.
A commuter town
86% of working residents leave Empire for work
Where Empire’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
825jobs based in Empire
14%of working residents work in town
16 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Empire’s report card
Now in Empire
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Residents weigh in
Empire is #785 of 797 in IL for “Most conserved land”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Empire’s Town Square.
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The data
Ordered by what stands out in Empire. Another town gets a different order.
Schools
Empire’s public schools outperform 79% of Illinois districts
The public schools Empire’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 79% of Illinois’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
A−School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| LeRoy Elementary School | PK–6 | 405 | A− |
| LeRoy Junior High School | 7–8 | 102 | B+ |
| LeRoy High School | 9–12 | 232 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IL on state tests and graduationAll 3 schools →
Work & commute
About one in seven working residents works right in Empire
Most working residents leave Empire for work: only 14% work in town. The top destinations are Bloomington (31%), Le Roy (13%) and Normal (11%). Half commute less than 16 miles.
14%work in town
Where working residents work
In Empire14%
Bloomington31%
Le Roy13%
Normal11%
Peoria3%
16 mi
median commute distance
825
jobs based in Empire
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Health
Healthier than 77% of U.S. towns
Empire beats the Illinois average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1.
A−Health Grade
32 measures vs. Illinois
6 better25 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Empire | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.1% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.9% | 15.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.3% | 7.6% |
St. Joseph Medical Center
14.9 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
76th
percentile among IL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Empire has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 20 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
20″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–36°
Spring40–63°
Summer62–84°
Fall43–65°
Oct 16
typical first frost
Apr 25
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Natural hazards
Moderate risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 47% of U.S. communities.
47risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
2
paid flood claims since 2008
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Outdoors
0.1% of Empire is conserved land
0.5 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves.
0.1%conserved
0.1%
conserved · 26 of 31,535 acres
0.5 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Brickyard Park | — | 8 |
| 2. Bowman Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
About Empire
Township in Illinois, United States
Empire Township is located in McLean County, Illinois. As of the 2010 census, its population was 4,093 and it contained 1,719 housing units. Empire Township changed its name from Le Roy Township on May 17, 1858.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Population
- 3,994
- Area
- 49 sq mi
Empire’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Empire.