Barren TownshipIL
A town of 528.
Is Barren Township a good place to live?
Of the 769 Illinois towns we compare, none has a higher share of households owning their home than Barren Township. Wayne Fitzgerrell State Recreation Area, at 1,574 acres with 2.8 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Barren Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
528 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Barren Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Barren Township, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Barren Township.
With 0.7 jobs for every working resident, most of Barren Township’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Barren Township for work: only 2% work in town. Jobs based in Barren Township grew to 135 in 2023, 43 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Mount Vernon (19%), Goode Township (8%) and Sesser (7%).
| Barren Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.6% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Earthquakes leads a high hazard risk in Barren Township
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 71% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
In Barren Township, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Barren Township has chilly winters and warm summers. At 88°F, Barren Township’s July high is above both Illinois’ towns (84°F) and U.S. towns (85°F).
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Barren Township is
Barren Township beats the Illinois average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 16% of adults report frequent physical distress in Barren Township, against 13% in Illinois’ towns and 14% across U.S. towns. 41% of Barren Township adults have obesity.
| Barren Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 37% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| What stands out | Barren Township | IL |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.1% | 75.7% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16.6% | 10.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Barren Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.8% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wayne Fitzgerrell State Recreation Area | 2.8 mi | 1,574 |
| 2. Sandusky Creek South Public Use Area | 0.1 mi | 358 |
| 3. North Marcum Recreation Area | 0.2 mi | 271 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Barren Township
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Barren Township
About 0 of every 100 Barren Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
98% of working residents leave Barren Township for work
Where Barren Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Barren Township
Township in Illinois, United States
Barren Township is one of twelve townships in Franklin County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2020 census, its population was 551 and it contained 248 housing units.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 36 sq mi
- Elevation
- 427 ft
Questions about Barren Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Barren Township, IL a good place to live?
Barren Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.