Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Springfield Township gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $91K for a typical one, or 1.2 years of the Springfield metro’s $76K median household income. It grades C overall, ranked 609th of 767 in Illinois. The low prices come with trade-offs. Its schools rank behind 98% of the state's, and the median household income is $40K, and 31% of residents live below the poverty line. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 92% of U.S. towns, with 4 places on the National Register. 31% of residents live below the poverty line in Springfield Township, above both Illinois’ towns (8.4%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). On history, just 77 of Illinois’ 1,285 towns do better. The biggest park or preserve is Gurgens Park, at 327 acres.
Where Springfield Township beats most towns.
Census counts: 2,579 in 1840, 114,394 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1837 and 7 maps from 1907 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Springfield Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Springfield Township. Close and well known come first.
Big draw2 mi LandmarkLincoln Tomb
3 mi National Historic SiteLincoln Home National Historic Site124K visitors a year3 mi National MonumentSpringfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument
3 mi MuseumOld State Capitol State Historic Site
13 mi MuseumLincoln's New Salem
3 mi MuseumIllinois State MuseumLincoln Tomb: David Jones, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Lincoln Home National Historic Site: Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Old State Capitol State Historic Site: Shadow2700 at en.wikipedia, Public domain · Lincoln's New Salem: Unknown, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Illinois State Museum: Mike Linksvayer from Oakland, California, CC0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Springfield 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 Springfield Township.
Springfield Township is healthier than towns with similar incomes and trades workers with Springfield and other neighbors, but it has poverty well above the Illinois rate.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 73% of U.S. communities. Since 1982, 18 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Springfield Township.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Springfield Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.5% | 3.7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Conservation World | 0.5 mi | 15 |
| 2. Gurgens Park | — | 327 |
| 3. Riverside Park | — | 40 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Springfield Township has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 19° and about 22 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Springfield Township has about as many jobs (2,200) as working residents, but only 84 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 14.8 minutes, against 27.8 across Illinois.
Among 768 Illinois towns, just 7 have a lower median household income than Springfield Township. Springfield Township’s average trip to work is 15 minutes. Jobs based in Springfield Township grew to 2,200 in 2023, 360 more than in 2013.
| Springfield Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 15 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $40,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.6% | 8.4% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 2,247 U.S. towns with household incomes like Springfield Township’s, it is healthier than 92%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
Springfield Township beats the Illinois average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 41% of adults have obesity in Springfield Township.
| Springfield Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 37% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 35% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 11% | 12% |
| What stands out | Springfield Township | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.5% | 9.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.5% | 6.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
3 within 15 miles of the center of Springfield Township
About 4 of every 100 Springfield Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
4 places in Springfield Township on the National Register of Historic Places.
Capital city of Illinois, United States
Springfield is the capital city of the U.S. state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County. Its population was 114,394 at the 2020 United States census, making it the state's seventh-most populous city, the second-most populous outside of the Chicago metropolitan area (after Rockford) and the most populous in Central Illinois. Approximately 208,000 residents live in the Springfield metropolitan area which consists of all of Sangamon and Menard counties. The city lies in a plain near the Sangamon River north of Lake Springfield and is located along historic Route 66. Springfield was settled by European-Americans in the late 1810s, around the time Illinois became a state. The most f…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with Springfield Township.
All 5 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its C; Capital Township (C) is closest. Sherman next door grades higher for schools (A to Springfield Township’s D−) and lower for cost of living (C to A).
| Town | IL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield Township | #609 | C | A | — | D− | C+ |
| Capital Township | #580 | C | B | — | C− | B− |
| Springfield | #702 | D | B | D− | C− | C+ |
| Fancy Creek Township | #208 | A− | C | — | A− | A− |
| Gardner Township | #274 | A− | B | — | B | A− |
| Clear Lake Township | #370 | B | B+ | — | C | B+ |
| Sherman | #32 | A+ | C | A | A | A |
| Grandview | — | — | A− | — | D− | D |
Grandview has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Springfield Township, Capital Township, Fancy Creek Township, Gardner Township, Clear Lake Township and Grandview report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Springfield Township with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Springfield Township grades C overall, better than 28% of U.S. towns and #609 of 767 in Illinois. It grades C+ for health and D− for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D−.
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.
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