DME freight train in, 2000
Byron Township’s story
191 years in pictures
Census counts: 698 in 1890, 3,784 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 2000 and 2 maps from 1922 on.
- 1835Byron Township is settled
Byron TownshipIL
Public schools that outperform most of Illinois.
5 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Ben Jacobson (Kranar Drogin) · CC BY 2.5
Population
6,398
2025 Census estimate · −0.6% since 2020
Median home value
$235K
Census ACS
Household income
$90K
median
Median age
39.1
years
Jobs based here
1,447
A commuter town
TownGrade
A−
#224 of 767 in IL
Is Byron Township a good place to live?
Byron Township is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades A− overall, 224th of 767 graded towns in Illinois, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is schools: its public schools beat 83% of Illinois towns on state tests and graduation. It also does better than most on incomes: the median household earns $90K. A typical home there costs about $234K, 2.9 years of the Rochelle area’s $82K median household income. The biggest place to walk is Howard Colman Hall Creek Preserve, 313 acres with 6.8 miles of trail. Byron Township’s January low is 13°F, below both the Illinois town median (17°F) and the median of U.S. towns (22°F).
What makes Byron Township stand out
Where Byron Township beats most towns.
A commuter town
88% of working residents leave Byron Township for work
Where Byron Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,447jobs based in Byron Township
12%of working residents work in town
15 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Byron Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Byron Township is from typical.
SchoolsA−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC−Open →Jobs & income1,447 jobs based hereA−Open →HealthUw Health 12 miles awayBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7 of 20; 5.8% of households have no car; 2.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →Cost of livingBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3% conserved landBOpen →HistoryB+Open →Civic life8 library visits per resident; 2.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Byron Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Byron Township, and how to reach them.
PowerCommonwealth Edison17.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterByron water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers90% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Byron Township’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Illinois you can register online until 16 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 28 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereOgle County ClerkOgle County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP codes61010, 61047, 6110261010 93% · 61047 4% · 61102 3%Census 2020
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 Byron Township.
SchoolsA−
Byron Township earns an A− for schools
Its public schools are run by Byron CUSD 226. Three of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Byron High School 9-12, with 464 students.
83%of IL districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Morgan Elem SchLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 631 | A |
| Byron High School 9-12Largest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 464 | A− |
| Byron Middle SchoolTop results in townGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 366 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IL on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
Byron Township has 0.5 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Byron Township for work: only 12% work in town. The average trip to work in Byron Township is 28 minutes. The top destinations are Rockford (23%), Byron (11%) and Oregon (4%).
12%work in town
| Byron Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 6.1% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $90,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Byron Township12%
Rockford23%
Byron11%
Oregon4%
Chicago4%
15 mi
median commute distance
1,447
jobs based in Byron Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 59% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
#361for trails in IL
| Byron Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2.7% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
2.7%
conserved · 651 of 23,688 acres
12 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Howard Colman Hall Creek Preserve | 6.8 mi | 313 |
| 2. Riverside Park | 0.4 mi | 8 |
| 3. Sunshine Park | 0.3 mi | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
Byron Township has four seasons and pleasant summers
Byron Township has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 13° and about 37 inches of snow falls in a winter.
37″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter16–33°
Spring38–59°
Summer60–82°
Fall41–62°
Oct 17
typical first frost
Apr 24
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
High risk in Byron Township, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 62% of U.S. communities.
62risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than Illinois overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 17% of residents (23% statewide). 25% of Byron Township residents are under 18. 36% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 38% across Illinois.
39.1median age · IL 39
| Byron Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 25% | 22% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 36% | 29% | 29% |
| Median age | 39.1 years | 40.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 17% | 19% | 18% |
Byron TownshipIllinoisUnited States
Ages · share of residents
17%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma3%
High school30%
Some college21%
Associate’s10%
Bachelor’s25%
Graduate12%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.2 points. Across Illinois, 50.6% of residents are women.
| Byron Township | IL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.6% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.8% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.1% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11% | 13.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 16.6% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.3% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.2% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.3% | 10% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.1% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.3% | 9.5% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.7% | 25.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.3% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.5% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24.8% | 22.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.5% | 15.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
HealthB
Byron Township ranks healthier than 59% of the country’s towns
Byron Township beats the Illinois average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 40% of adults have obesity in Byron Township.
59%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Byron Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 33% | 33% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 23% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
3 better28 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Byron Township | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.6% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12.9% | 15.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.1% | 7.6% |
Uw Health
12 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
43rd
percentile among IL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Nearby attractions
All 28 attractions →Illinois Railway Museum and 11 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Byron Township. Close and well known come first.
38 mi MuseumIllinois Railway Museum
11 mi Stadium & arenaBMO Center
14 mi GardenAnderson Japanese Gardens
25 mi National Historic SiteRonald Reagan Boyhood Home National Historic Site
31 mi TheatreEgyptian Theatre, DeKalb
31 mi MuseumEllwood HouseSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Illinois Railway Museum: The original uploader was Slambo at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 2.0 · BMO Center: SimLibrarian, CC0 · Anderson Japanese Gardens: M. Readey, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home National Historic Site: Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Egyptian Theatre, DeKalb: Andy McMurray, CC BY 2.5 · Ellwood House: Paul R. Burley, CC0
.jpg){kind=link}
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Byron Township
18pages on Byron Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Byron Township
About 7 of every 100 Byron Township residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Illinois.
About Byron Township
City in Illinois, United States
Byron is a city in Ogle County, Illinois, United States, probably best known as the location of the Byron Nuclear Generating Station, one of the last nuclear power plants commissioned in the United States. Byron is located in Byron Township, along the Rock River. As of the 2020 census, Byron had a population of 3,784. The town bills itself as the "Gateway to the Rock River Valley".
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1835
- Area
- 3.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 728 ft
- ZIP code
- 61010
- Area code
- 815
Byron Township’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Byron Township.
Marion TownshipRockvale TownshipWinnebago TownshipLeaf River TownshipRockford TownshipByron Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | IL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Byron Township | #224 | A− | B | — | A− | B |
| Marion Township | #161 | A | B+ | — | B+ | B+ |
| Rockvale Township | — | — | C+ | — | A− | B− |
| Winnebago Township | #426 | B | C+ | — | B+ | C+ |
| Leaf River Township | — | — | A− | — | B+ | B+ |
| Rockford Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Rockvale Township and Leaf River Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Byron Township, Marion Township, Rockvale Township, Winnebago Township and Leaf River Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Rockford Township isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Byron Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Byron Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Byron Township, IL a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Byron Township grades A− overall, better than 81% of U.S. towns and #224 of 767 in Illinois. It grades B for health and A− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Byron Township, IL expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.