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%

Bowerston$460/mo

Typical home $75K (Census) · tax rate 1.12% · or rent about $564/mo · Housing →

Philo$930/mo

Typical home $156K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.90% · or rent about $827/mo · Housing →

The difference: $470 a month, about $5,600 a year, between Philo and Bowerston.

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

BowerstonPhilo

Snow a year26″10″

January low20°F —

July high82°F —

Growing season (days)186d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)32nd 76th

Outdoors & history

BowerstonPhilo

Trails0 mi —

Conserved land0%—

Settled1851 1833

Archive photos8 —

Famous people born here2 —

Community

BowerstonPhilo

Library hours a week38 hrs —

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

55 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BowerstonOH PhiloOH

Bowerston ↔ Philo55 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 Ohio average

BowerstonPhilo

People

Population 420Lowest 683Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census — -1.8% OH: +2.3%

Median age 40.8±11.8Highest about the OH average 39.4±9.9Lowest about the OH average

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

Kids under 18 22.9%±11.3Highest OH: 22% 22.3%±4Lowest OH: 22%

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

Age 65+ 18.8%±7.5Lowest OH: 18.3% 19.2%±8.4Highest OH: 18.3%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 11.3%Lowest OH: 31.5% 11.4%Highest OH: 31.5%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.1%±4.7Highest OH: 5.6% 1%±2.1Lowest OH: 5.6%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian — $42,344±$26k 41% below OH

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $75,000±$26kLowest 65% below OH $109,000±$12kHighest 49% below OH

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $564±$125Lowest 45% below OH $827±$116Highest 20% below OH

Property taxmedian, yearly $839Lowest 70% below OH $984Highest 65% below OH

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 35.8%±27.4Lowest OH: 45.9% 70.7%±100Highest OH: 45.9%

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

Below poverty line 30.5%Highest OH: 13.3% 21.8%Lowest OH: 13.3%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 59%Lowest OH: 67.2% 61.8%Highest OH: 67.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1953Highest 17 yrs older than OH 1941Lowest 29 yrs older than OH

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 25 minLowest 5% above OH 35 minHighest 51% above OH

Work from home 0%±10.2Lowest OH: 13% 0.7%±1Highest OH: 13%

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

Work in townworking residents 3.3%Highest 0.4%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 26.8 miHighest 14.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.98Highest 0.63Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Dover (7%)Zanesville (26%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in PhiloFew work in Bowerston

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 27.1%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.1 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Highest 0Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 35.7Lowest 76.5Highest

Ohio 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.

Bowerston neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Bowerston’s Town Square.

Philo neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Philo’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Bowerston and Philo

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

Towns like Bowerston

+ Compare

Martinsburg303 people · $96K homes

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Mineral City538 people · $94K homes

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Washingtonville601 people · $113K homes

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Jewett402 people · $76K 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.

Bowerston vs Philo

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $470 more a month in Philo

What daily life feels like in each

55 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Bowerston and Philo

Towns like Bowerston

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