Compare towns
Basco vs Donnellson 128 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (2.2× in Donnellson) and average commute (5 min in Donnellson).
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.
Basco A small town of 59
Quiet strengths Basco doesn’t stand out on the data we have Neighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Basco →
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.
★ What stands out · Monthly cost A typical home costs $590 more a month in Donnellson 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 payment3.5% 10% 20% Rate
Basco $290 /mo
Typical home $43K (Census) · tax rate 1.80% · Housing →
Donnellson $880 /mo
Typical home $130K (Zillow) · tax rate est. 1.8% · or rent about $913/mo · Housing →
The difference: $590 a month , about $7,100 a year , between Donnellson and Basco.
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
Growing season (days) 191d — Outdoors & history
Famous people born here — 2
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 128 miles apart Straight-line miles between town centers.
Basco ↔ Donnellson 128 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.
Raising kids Affordability Owning a home Short commute Working from home Younger crowd Settled, older crowd Growing town Outdoorsy Walkable streets
Population
59 Lowest 129 Highest
Median age
48.2 ±31.4 Lowest 24% above IL 51.5 ±30.6 Highest 32% above IL
Kids under 18
18.6% ±55.8 Lowest IL: 21.8% 23.3% ±24.2 Highest IL: 21.8%
Age 65+
20.3% ±49.9 Lowest IL: 17% 24.8% ±11.4 Highest IL: 17%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
10% Highest IL: 37.8% 2.3% Lowest IL: 37.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
0% ±31.2 IL: 6.3% 0% ±14.3 IL: 6.3%
Household incomemedian
$40,000 ±$25k Lowest 52% below IL $45,875 ±$12k Highest 45% below IL
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$42,500 ±$38k Lowest 84% below IL $51,700 ±$12k Highest 80% below IL
Rentmedian gross, monthly
— $913 ±$594 28% below IL
Property taxmedian, yearly
$763 86% below IL —
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
— 0% ±100 IL: 47.9%
Below poverty line
16.9% Lowest IL: 11.8% 41.9% Highest IL: 11.8%
Homeownersof occupied homes
78.1% Highest IL: 67.1% 77.4% Lowest IL: 67.1%
Typical home builtmedian year
1938 33 yrs older than IL 1938 33 yrs older than IL
Average commuteone way
25 min Highest 11% below IL 20 min Lowest 28% below IL
Work from home
0% ±50 Lowest IL: 15.9% 12.2% ±15.2 Highest IL: 15.9%
Work in townworking residents
0% Lowest 1.9% Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line
28.8 mi Lowest 36.3 mi Highest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub
0.23 Lowest 0.34 Highest
Top workplaceoutside town
Macomb (14%) Hillsboro (15%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others
Few work in Donnellson Few work in Basco
Conserved landshare of the town
0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles
0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Trail densitymiles per sq mi
0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map
0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure
44.6 Lowest 100 Highest
“±” Census margin of error ACS 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.
Basco or Donnellson: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Basco? → Moving to Basco: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Basco’s Town Square.
Donnellson or Basco: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Donnellson? → Moving to Donnellson: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Donnellson’s Town Square.
Add a town Set another town beside Basco and Donnellson One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.
Towns like Basco 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.
Copyright © 2026 TownTapestry · The guide for every city and town in America · In loving memory of John Cullinane whose interest in maps and discovering new places was contagious. Share TownTapestry to support usBrowse by state · Privacy · Terms 
