Nisbet Homestead Farm · National Register of Historic Places
Paw Paw Township’s story
192 years in pictures
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1834Paw Paw Township is settled
Paw Paw TownshipIL
The National Register of Historic Places lists 2 places here.
5 bordering townsMap →
Photo: IvoShandor · CC BY 2.5
Population
312
2025 Census estimate · −1% since 2020
Median home value
$410K
Census ACS
Household income
$67K
median
Median age
51.7
years
Jobs based here
3
A commuter town
Is Paw Paw Township a good place to live?
Paw Paw Township’s typical journey to work is 58 minutes, where Illinois’ towns sit at 26 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Its National Register listings include Nisbet Homestead Farm and Rollo Congregational United Church of Christ. Paw Paw Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Paw Paw Township stand out
Where Paw Paw Township beats most towns.
Small town
312 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Wyoming TownshipShabbona TownshipEarl TownshipVictor TownshipClinton TownshipPaw Paw Township
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Paw Paw Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Paw Paw Township, and how to reach them.
PowerCommonwealth Edison17.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Paw Paw 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 hereDeKalb County ClerkDeKalb County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP codes60518, 6053160518 78% · 60531 22%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 Paw Paw Township.
Natural hazards
Very low risk in Paw Paw Township, with inland flooding at the top
Of the losses FEMA expects in Paw Paw Township, 41% come from inland flooding and 24% from cold waves. FEMA expects less storm and flood damage locally than in 85% of U.S. communities.
15risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
In Paw Paw Township, the median age runs higher than in the typical Illinois or U.S. town
Children under 18 are 8% of residents (22% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 31% of residents (23% statewide). Here, 30% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree, against 38% in Illinois as a whole.
51.7median age · IL 39
| Paw Paw Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 51.7 years | 40.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 30% | 29% | 29% |
Paw Paw TownshipIllinoisUnited States
Ages · share of residents
22%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma4%
High school27%
Some college29%
Associate’s9%
Bachelor’s30%
Graduate0%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 37% and 69% women
The Census survey reached too few of Paw Paw Township’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±16.4 points. Across Illinois, 50.6% of residents are women.
| Paw Paw Township | IL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 5.1% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 2.5% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.6% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 21.7% | 13.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 2.5% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 18.7% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 21.7% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 2.5% | 10% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 15.7% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.3% | 9.5% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.4% | 25.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 29.3% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.1% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 29.9% | 22.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 0% | 15.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 300, single groups can be off by several points
Work & commute
Most of Paw Paw Township’s workers head elsewhere: there are 0.0 jobs for each of them
The median commute is under 28 miles. The top destinations are DeKalb (14%), Shabbona (6%) and Waterman (5%).
0%work in town
Where working residents work
In Paw Paw Township0%
DeKalb14%
Shabbona6%
Waterman5%
Sycamore3%
28 mi
median commute distance
3
jobs based in Paw Paw Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
The climate in Paw Paw Township brings four seasons and pleasant summers
The midsummer high for Paw Paw Township comes to 83°F.
30″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–33°
Spring38–60°
Summer61–82°
Fall41–62°
Oct 15
typical first frost
Apr 27
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Paw Paw Township is
Of 32 CDC measures, Paw Paw Township beats the Illinois average on 1 and trails it on 8. Paw Paw Township: 38% of adults have obesity. In Paw Paw Township, 16% of adults smoke cigarettes, and 14% report frequent physical distress.
| Paw Paw Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
1 better23 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Paw Paw Township | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 11.1% | 13.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.4% | 6.3% |
Valley West Community Hospital
13.7 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Paw Paw Township
16pages on Paw Paw Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Paw Paw Township; the nearest are
Kishwaukee CollegeCommunity college · Public · Malta18.1 mi$4,560 in-state tuitionNorthern Illinois UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Dekalb18.7 mi$13,248 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Paw Paw Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Paw Paw Township for work
Where Paw Paw Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
3jobs based in Paw Paw Township
0%of working residents work in town
28 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Paw Paw Township
Village in Illinois, United States
Paw Paw is a village in Lee County in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2020 census, the village was home to 830 people, down from 870 at the 2010 census. It was settled in the mid 19th century and by 1878 the village had a railroad connection. Paw Paw is home to a house which is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and was the recipient of a 2005 federal grant to construct a water tower.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1834
- Area
- 0.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 945 ft
- ZIP code
- 61353
Questions about Paw Paw Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Paw Paw Township, IL a good place to live?
Paw Paw Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. The National Register of Historic Places lists 2 places here.