Wards Grove TownshipIL
A town of 220, settled in 1848.
Is Wards Grove Township a good place to live?
Wards Grove Township’s concentration of trails is 1.5 miles per square mile, above both the Illinois town median (0.3) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Wards Grove Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
220 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Wards Grove Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wards Grove 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 Wards Grove Township.
In Wards Grove Township, the median age runs higher than in the typical Illinois or U.S. town
In Wards Grove Township, 46% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more, against 29% in Illinois’ towns and 29% across U.S. towns. People 65 and older are just over two in five residents (17% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 26% of residents (39% statewide).
| Wards Grove Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 60.3 years | 40.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 46% | 29% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 19% and 83% women
The Census survey reached too few of Wards Grove Township’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±32.3 points. Across Illinois, 50.6% of residents are women.
| Wards Grove Township | IL | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.6% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 4.5% | 10.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.9% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.4% | 13.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.4% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.4% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 8.8% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 36.7% | 10% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.2% | 7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3% | 9.5% | 10.4% |
| High school | 11% | 25.1% | 26% |
| Some college | 3.8% | 19.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 36.3% | 8.3% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 34.2% | 22.6% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.8% | 15.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 200, single groups can be off by several points
Wards Grove Township has 0.4 jobs per working resident, so most workers leave town for work
The median commute is under 17 miles. In Wards Grove Township, the average trip to work is 21 minutes. The top destinations are Stockton (20%), Freeport (16%) and Chicago (7%). Wards Grove Township: 6.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Wards Grove Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 6.8% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Wards Grove Township
In July, afternoons reach 83°; in January, nights fall to 12°, and about 36 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Low risk in Wards Grove Township, with inland flooding at the top
On expected storm and flood damage, Wards Grove Township sits below nearly two thirds of U.S. communities. Expected losses in Wards Grove Township break down as 47% from inland flooding and 16% from cold waves.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
How healthy Wards Grove Township is
For adults in Wards Grove Township, the share who report frequent physical distress is 15%. The town beats the Illinois average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9.
| Wards Grove Township | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 11% | 12% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 37% | 35% |
| What stands out | Wards Grove Township | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.8% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.6% | 13.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 9% | 6.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Charles Mound and 9 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Wards Grove Township. Close and well known come first.
19 mi MountainCharles Mound25 mi MuseumChicago Athenaeum
38 mi MuseumNational Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium250K visitors a year
13 mi MuseumApple River Fort
38 mi TheatreFive Flags Center
15 mi GardenDon Opel ArboretumPhoto credits
Charles 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 · Don Opel Arboretum: Cillas, CC BY-SA 4.0
Everything we know about Wards Grove Township
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Wards Grove Township
About 4 of every 100 Wards Grove Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
100% of working residents leave Wards Grove Township for work
Where Wards Grove Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Wards Grove Township
Township in Illinois, United States
Wards Grove Township is one of 23 townships in Jo Daviess County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 215 and it contained 98 housing units.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 18 sq mi
- Elevation
- 961 ft
Questions about Wards Grove Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Wards Grove Township, IL a good place to live?
Wards Grove Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.