Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Illinois ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

B+BerkeleySafer than 70% of U.S. towns A−CortlandSafer than 77% of U.S. towns

Health

BBerkeleyHealthier than 58% of U.S. towns B+CortlandHealthier than 73% of U.S. towns

8Berkeley

14Cortland

Lists won, of 22 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most new homesHousing · 431 towns #415#25 Lowest depressionHealth · 861 towns #42#565 Most activeHealth · 861 towns #671#258 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 861 towns #804#507 Most remote workersWork · 849 towns #246#491 Most educatedPeople · 862 towns #683#458 Most library borrowingLibraries · 262 towns #136#80 HealthiestHealth · 861 towns #482#321

Left end = #1 in Illinois. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Berkeley’s rankings →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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%

Berkeley$2,270/mo

Typical home $309K (Zillow) · tax rate 2.52% · or rent about $1,434/mo · Housing →

Cortland$2,280/mo

Typical home $300K (Zillow) · tax rate 2.84% · or rent about $1,552/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

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

BerkeleyCortland

Snow a year42″33″

January low—13°F

July high—83°F

Growing season (days)—177d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)47th 26th

Outdoors & history

BerkeleyCortland

Trails0 mi 0 mi

Conserved land1.3%1.5%

Settled—1865

Archive photos12 2

Famous people born here—3

Community

BerkeleyCortland

Library hours a week54 hrs 64 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined1 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

40 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BerkeleyIL CortlandIL

Berkeley ↔ Cortland40 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

BerkeleyCortland

People

Population 5,199Highest 4,564Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +2.5%Lowest +3%Highest

Median age 33.6±5Highest 14% below IL 31.5±3.4Lowest 19% below IL

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

Kids under 18 26.9%±9.3Lowest IL: 21.8% 29%±6Highest IL: 21.8%

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

Age 65+ 17%±5.2Highest IL: 17% 7.9%±2.9Lowest IL: 17%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 18.6%Lowest IL: 37.8% 26.7%Highest IL: 37.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.9%±2.1Lowest IL: 6.3% 6%±2.7Highest IL: 6.3%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $85,823±$14kHighest about the IL average $73,971±$18kLowest 11% below IL

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $246,900±$21kHighest 6% below IL $233,200±$22kLowest 11% below IL

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,434±$210Lowest 13% above IL $1,552±$364Highest 22% above IL

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $6,224Lowest 17% above IL $6,624Highest 25% above IL

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 74.2%±55.1Lowest IL: 47.9% 78%±20.4Highest IL: 47.9%

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

Below poverty line 17.5%Highest IL: 11.8% 7%Lowest IL: 11.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 82%Highest IL: 67.1% 78%Lowest IL: 67.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 1955Lowest 16 yrs older than IL 1998Highest 27 yrs newer than IL

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 28 minHighest about the IL average 26 minLowest 8% below IL

Work from home 14.5%±9.5Highest IL: 15.9% 9.6%±3.7Lowest IL: 15.9%

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

Work in townworking residents 1.6%Lowest 2%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.8 miLowest 20.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.52Highest 0.50Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Chicago (27%)DeKalb (15%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in CortlandFew work in Berkeley

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.3%Lowest 1.5%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.4 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.1 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 6Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 67.4Highest 46.9Lowest

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.

Berkeley neighborsTown Square →

T Weaver · 1w

Best View in Berkeley

1 neighbor in Berkeley can answer.

Cortland neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Cortland’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Berkeley and Cortland

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

Bordering Berkeley

+ Compare

Hillside8,084 people · $247K homes

+ Compare

Bellwood18,256 people · $230K homes

+ Compare

Northlake12,513 people · $260K homes

+ Compare

Melrose Park24,549 people · $276K homes

Towns like Berkeley

+ Compare

Braceville Township6,529 people · $220K homes

+ Compare

Beecher4,728 people · $270K homes

+ Compare

Stickney6,952 people · $245K homes

+ Compare

Diamond2,984 people · $220K 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.

Berkeley vs Cortland

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

Cortland places higher on 14 of 22 IL lists

A typical home costs about the same each month

What daily life feels like in each

40 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Best View in Berkeley

Set another town beside Berkeley and Cortland

Bordering Berkeley

Towns like Berkeley

Post to Berkeley

Check your email