Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Hanover Township’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living, history, and the outdoors; its weakest is a D− for incomes. Only 7 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns score lower on incomes. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 82% of U.S. towns. Among 769 Illinois towns, just 6 have a lower January low than Hanover Township. 30% of the land in Hanover Township is conserved, above both Illinois’ towns (3.7%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). On the outdoors, just 100 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns do better. Hanover Bluff State Natural Area, at 621 acres with 3.3 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Hanover Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Hanover Township beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Hanover Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 459 in 1880, a peak of 1,643 in 1950, 863 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1970 and 3 maps from 1953 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hanover 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 Hanover Township.
31 miles of trail in 8 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge | 21.9 mi | 8,999 |
| 2. Hanover Bluff State Natural Area | 3.3 mi | 621 |
| 3. Wapello Land & Water Reserve | 1.8 mi | 167 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
At $44,000, Hanover Township’s median household income is below both the Illinois town median ($83,000) and the median of U.S. towns ($80,000). 19% of residents live below the poverty line in Hanover Township. Jobs based in Hanover Township fell to 47 in 2023, 138 fewer than in 2013.
| Hanover Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $44,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.9% | 8.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Hanover Township has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 13° and about 32 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Hanover Township beats the Illinois average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 41% of Hanover Township adults have high blood pressure.
| Hanover Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Hanover Township | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.5% | 13.2% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.3% | 75.7% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.9% | 6.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 54% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Hanover Township. Close and well known come first.
18 mi MountainCharles Mound13 mi MuseumChicago Athenaeum
25 mi MuseumNational Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium250K visitors a year
7 mi MuseumApple River Fort
26 mi TheatreFive Flags Center26 mi MuseumDubuque Museum of ArtCharles Mound: Skye Marthaler, CC BY-SA 3.0 · National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium: Dirk Hansen, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Apple River Fort: IvoShandor, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Five Flags Center: Dirk Hansen, CC BY-SA 3.0
None within 15 miles of Hanover Township; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Hanover Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
Where Hanover Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Village in Illinois, United States
Hanover is a village in Jo Daviess County, Illinois, United States, along the Apple River. The town was previously named Wapello, in honor of Chief Wapello of the Meskwaki tribe. The population was 863 at the 2020 cenus, up from 844 in 2010.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the 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.
