Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Louis metro’s $80K median household income.
Elsah Township’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living and an A− for history; its weakest is a C− for hazard risk. 13% of residents are under 18 in Elsah Township, where Illinois’ towns sit at 22% and U.S. towns at 22%. On cost of living, just 128 of Illinois’ 1,284 towns do better. New Piasa Chautauqua Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places. Elsah Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Elsah Township beats most towns.
New Piasa Chautauqua Historic District2,462 counted in 2010 and 2,194 in 2020; an estimated 2,093 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Elsah Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1895.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Elsah 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.
Ordered by what stands out in Elsah Township.
At 30.5 years, Elsah Township’s median age is against 40.7 years in Illinois’ towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. Elsah Township has lost 3.2% of its people since 2020, down to 2,093 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. Adults 18 to 34 are 43% of residents (23% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 26% of residents (39% statewide).
| Elsah Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 30.5 years | 40.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 30% | 29% | 29% |
47% women, 53% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6.4 points. Across Illinois, 50.6% of residents are women. Among residents 75 and older, 72% are men (IL 41%).
| Elsah Township | IL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.3% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.5% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 29.3% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14% | 13.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.5% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 4.2% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.8% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 14.6% | 10% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.6% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4% | 9.5% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24% | 25.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 27.1% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 15% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.5% | 22.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.3% | 15.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,100, single groups can be off by several points
The typical Elsah Township home is worth about $196,000, up 5.8% in a year, 34% below the Illinois typical home. The median rent in Elsah Township is $824 a month.
| Elsah Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $824 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 77% | 75% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents leave Elsah Township for work: only 5% work in town. 5.9% of residents live below the poverty line in Elsah Township. The top destinations are Alton (11%), Jerseyville (9%) and St.
| Elsah Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 5.9% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.4% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 76% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 244 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Elsah Township.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Elsah Township beats the Illinois average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 18% of Elsah Township adults binge drink.
| Elsah Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 33% | 33% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 6.5% | 7.9% | 8.1% |
| What stands out | Elsah Township | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.5% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.4% | 13.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.5% | 7.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Elsah Township has chilly winters and warm summers. Elsah Township’s July high is 88°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| Elsah Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 9.3% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Elsah Township. Close and well known come first.
Big draw27 mi State parkCahokia
Big draw25 mi Stadium & arenaThe Dome at America's Center
9 mi Ancient sitePiasa
26 mi Stadium & arenaBusch Stadium
26 mi National ParkGateway Arch National Park2.2M visitors a year
26 mi LandmarkMonks MoundCahokia: Thank You (24 Millions ) views, CC BY 2.0 · The Dome at America's Center: Paul Sableman, CC BY 2.0 · Piasa: Burfalcy, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Busch Stadium: Lee Ann Ratledge, CC BY 4.0 · Gateway Arch National Park: Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Monks Mound: Skubasteve834, CC BY-SA 3.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Elsah Township
College town 27 of every 100 Elsah Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
Where Elsah Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Village in Illinois, United States
Elsah is a village in Jersey County, Illinois. As of the 2020 census, the village had a total population of 519. Elsah is a part of the Metro-East region and the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Elsah Township.
| Town | IL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elsah Township | — | — | A | — | B | B+ |
| Godfrey | #530 | C+ | B | — | D | B+ |
| Mississippi Township | — | — | B | — | B | B− |
| Quarry Township | — | — | B+ | — | B | B |
Elsah Township, Mississippi Township and Quarry Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Elsah Township, Godfrey, Mississippi Township and Quarry Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Elsah Township with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Louis, MO-IL metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.
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