Orel TownshipIL
A town of 1,338.
Is Orel Township a good place to live?
Orel Township’s best subject grade is an A− for cost of living; its weakest is a D for incomes. On incomes, just 105 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns do worse. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 77% of U.S. towns. On the outdoors, just 27 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns do worse. Orel Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
1,338 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
How Orel Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Orel Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Orel Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Orel 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 Orel Township.
Most of Orel Township’s workers commute out: the town has 0.5 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Orel Township for work: only 7% work in town. At $49,000, Orel Township’s median household income is below both Illinois’ towns ($83,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000). Jobs based in Orel Township fell to 235 in 2023, 52 fewer than in 2013.
| Orel Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $49,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Orel Township’s public schools outperform 69% of Illinois districts
Its public schools are run by Wayne City CUSD 100. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne City Attendance CenterLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 342 | A− |
| Wayne City High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 135 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IL on state tests and graduation
Orel Township faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 74% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Orel Township
Orel Township has chilly winters and warm summers. At 88°F, Orel Township’s July high is above both the Illinois town median (84°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F).
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Residents of Orel Township are less healthy than 64% of U.S. towns
Orel Township beats the Illinois average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 40% of Orel Township adults have high blood pressure.
| Orel Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 11% | 12% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Orel Township | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.3% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.4% | 13.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.4% | 6.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Orel Township has set aside 0% of its land for conservation
2.0 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves.
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Orel Township
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Orel Township; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Orel Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
93% of working residents leave Orel Township for work
Where Orel Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Orel Township
Township in Illinois, United States
Orel Township is located in Wayne County, Illinois. As of the 2010 census, its population was 1,420 and it contained 678 housing units.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 47 sq mi
- Elevation
- 394 ft
Questions about Orel Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Orel Township, IL expensive?
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−.