Downs Church, 2008
Downs Township’s story
166 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2008.
- 1860Downs Township is settled
Downs TownshipIL
1,281 people live in this town, settled in 1860.
6 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
1,281
2025 Census estimate · −1.6% since 2020
Median home value
$229K
Census ACS
Household income
$92K
median
Median age
37.3
years
Jobs based here
362
A commuter town
Is Downs Township a good place to live?
48% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Downs Township, where Illinois’ towns sit at 29% and U.S. towns at 29%. We don’t grade Downs Township yet; the figures below are still real.
Small town
1,281 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Randolph TownshipWilson TownshipOld Town TownshipEmpire TownshipDownsBloomington TownshipDowns Township
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Downs Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Downs Township, and how to reach them.
PowerAmeren Illinois Company16.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterDowns water system3 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet10 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Downs Township’s trash rules yet
SchoolsTri-Valley Community Unit School District 3Le Roy Community Unit School District 2Heyworth Community Unit School District 43 districts serve Downs Township; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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 hereMcLean County ClerkMcLean County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP codes61736, 61752, 61705, 6174561736 81% · 61752 10% · 61705 6% · 61745 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 Downs Township.
Work & commute
About half of Downs Township’s working residents commute to Bloomington
The top destinations are Bloomington (50%), Normal (11%) and Downs (4%). The typical journey to work in Downs Township is 21 minutes. Employers in Downs Township added 177 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 362. For half of commuters, work is under 9 miles away.
4%work in town
| Downs Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 16% | 11% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.8% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $92,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Downs Township4%
Bloomington50%
Normal11%
Downs4%
Peoria3%
9 mi
median commute distance
362
jobs based in Downs Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Schools
The schools Downs Township’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by Tri Valley CUSD 3. The largest public high school is Tri-Valley High School, with 329 students. Public school enrollment in Downs Township: 1,074 students across 3 schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tri-Valley Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 4–8 | Grades 4–8 | 450 | A |
| Tri-Valley High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 329 | A |
| Tri-Valley Elem SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–3 | Grades PK–3 | 295 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers: that is Downs Township’s year
The range runs from 17° on a January night to 85° on a July afternoon, with about 7 inches of snow a winter.
7″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–36°
Spring41–62°
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, 1991–2020
Who lives here
More children than Illinois overall
Illinois has 38% of adults 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or more; here it is 48%. Children under 18 are 29% of residents (22% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 18% of residents (23% statewide). Downs Township’s midpoint age is 37.3 years.
37.3median age · IL 39
| Downs Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.3 years | 40.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 17% | 19% | 18% |
Downs TownshipIllinoisUnited States
Ages · share of residents
16%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma2%
High school29%
Some college16%
Associate’s5%
Bachelor’s34%
Graduate14%
Women and men · all residents
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.3 points. Across Illinois, 50.6% of residents are women.
| Downs Township | IL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.1% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 16.2% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.2% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.7% | 13.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.3% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15.5% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.3% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 5.3% | 10% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11.5% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.1% | 9.5% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.9% | 25.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.8% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.4% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 33.5% | 22.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.4% | 15.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,300, single groups can be off by several points
Health
How healthy Downs Township is
Of 32 CDC measures, Downs Township beats the Illinois average on 11 and trails it on 1. Nearly one in ten adults have diabetes here. In Downs Township, 11% of adults report frequent physical distress, and 19% binge drink.
| Downs Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 23% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 35% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
11 better20 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Downs Township | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.3% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.6% | 15.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9% | 7.6% |
St. Joseph Medical Center
10 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Downs Township faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
The FEMA hazard score for Downs Township comes to 58 of 100. Expected losses in Downs Township break down as 37% from inland flooding and 34% from cold waves. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Downs Township after 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2000.
58risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesDrought
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Outdoors
0% of Downs Township is conserved land
1.3 miles of trail wind through 1 park or preserve. Downs Township has one park or preserve, 4 acres in all.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 5 of 31,473 acres
1.3 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dooley Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 34 attractions →American Football House and 19 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Downs Township. Close and well known come first.
38 mi LandmarkAmerican Football House
38 mi Stadium & arenaGies Memorial Stadium11 mi Zoo & aquariumMiller Park Zoo
27 mi City parkRobert Allerton Park
26 mi MuseumMonticello Railway Museum
38 mi MuseumOctave Chanute Aerospace MuseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
American Football House: BanjoZebra, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gies Memorial Stadium: T.J. Blakeman, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Robert Allerton Park: D. Finnigan, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Monticello Railway Museum: Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum: Chris Light (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Downs Township
18pages on Downs Township
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Downs Township
Illinois Wesleyan UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Bloomington11.5 mi$57,704 tuitionIllinois State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Normal12.6 mi$16,144 in-state tuitionHeartland Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Normal14.7 mi$5,550 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Downs Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Downs Township for work
Where Downs Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
362jobs based in Downs Township
4%of working residents work in town
9 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Downs Township
Village in Illinois, United States
Downs is a village in McLean County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,201 at the 2020 census, up from 1,005 in 2010. It is part of the Bloomington–Normal Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1870
- Area
- 2.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 807 ft
- ZIP code
- 61736
Questions about Downs Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Downs Township, IL a good place to live?
We don’t grade Downs Township yet; the figures below are still real.