Skip to content

TownTapestry

Find a town

Guest, Sign inJoin

Compare towns

Apple River vs Compton

76 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (3.4× in Compton) and jobs per worker (2× in Apple River).

×

Apple River, ILA small town of 290Illinois · 290 people

×

Compton, ILHomes around $209KIllinois · 259 people

Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

Apple RiverA small town of 290

Quiet strengthsApple River doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.

All about Apple River →

ComptonHomes around $209K

Housing$209K typical home30% below the IL typical home All about Compton →

The biggest differences

Where they differ most

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Street grid3.4×

Compton has the more walkable street grid

Compton 163Apple River 48.4

Jobs per worker2×

Apple River is more of a job hub

Apple River 0.06Compton 0.03

Property tax bill+21%

Tax bills are bigger in Compton

Compton $1,611Apple River $1,336

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $680 more a month in Apple River

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Apple River$2,120/mo

Typical home $325K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.53% · or rent about $880/mo · Housing →

Compton$1,440/mo

Typical home $209K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.99% · or rent about $1,009/mo · Housing →

The difference: $680 a month, about $8,100 a year, between Apple River and Compton.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

Apple RiverCompton

Snow a year32″30″

January low—12°F

July high—82°F

Growing season (days)—171d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)34th 37th

Outdoors & history

Apple RiverCompton

Conserved land—0%

Settled—1875

Archive photos7 —

Famous people born here1 1

Community

Apple RiverCompton

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

76 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Apple RiverIL ComptonIL

Apple River ↔ Compton76 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Illinois average

Apple RiverCompton

People

Population 290Highest 259Lowest

Median age 41.5±14Highest 6% above IL 39.8±12.8Lowest about the IL average

Apple River and Compton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 24.8%±4.9Highest IL: 21.8% 24.7%±7Lowest IL: 21.8%

Apple River and Compton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 16.9%±9.2Lowest IL: 17% 26.3%±6.9Highest IL: 17%

Compton and Apple River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 16.4%Highest IL: 37.8% 10.9%Lowest IL: 37.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.4%±3Highest IL: 6.3% 1.2%±1.4Lowest IL: 6.3%

Apple River and Compton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $44,028±$11kLowest 47% below IL $57,500±$16kHighest 31% below IL

Compton and Apple River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $87,100±$16kHighest 67% below IL $80,800±$11kLowest 69% below IL

Apple River and Compton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $880±$178Lowest 31% below IL $1,009±$541Highest 21% below IL

Compton and Apple River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,336Lowest 75% below IL $1,611Highest 70% below IL

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 75%±45.7Highest IL: 47.9% 6.9%±78.2Lowest IL: 47.9%

Apple River and Compton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 21.7%Highest IL: 11.8% 6.6%Lowest IL: 11.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 66.9%Lowest IL: 67.1% 69.6%Highest IL: 67.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 1938 33 yrs older than IL 1938 33 yrs older than IL

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 29 minLowest 4% above IL 32 minHighest 16% above IL

Work from home 4.4%±6.5Lowest IL: 15.9% 7%±5.7Highest IL: 15.9%

Compton and Apple River are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 2.5%Highest 0%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 24.3 miLowest 24.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.06Highest 0.03Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Freeport (10%)Mendota (9%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ComptonFew work in Apple River

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.2%Highest 0%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.4 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.6 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 48.4Lowest 163Highest

Illinois average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Apple River neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Apple River’s Town Square.

Compton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Compton’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Apple River and Compton

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Apple River

Apple River Township323 people · $104K homes

Monticello, WI124 people · $219K homes

Warren Township1,551 people · $104K homes

Towns like Apple River

East Cape Girardeau283 people · $63K homes

Nora Township416 people · $110K homes

Belle Rive382 people · $95K homes

Bryant160 people · $91K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.