Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Broughton vs Lerna

103 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (17× in Lerna) and jobs per worker (3.8× in Broughton).

×
Broughton, ILA small town of 206Illinois · 206 people
×
Lerna, ILHomes around $198KIllinois · 226 people
Swap order
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.

BroughtonA small town of 206
Quiet strengthsBroughton doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Broughton →
LernaHomes around $198K
Housing$198K typical home33% below the IL typical home All about Lerna →
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 grid17×
Lerna has the more walkable street grid
Lerna 215Broughton 12.7
Jobs per worker3.8×
Broughton is more of a job hub
Broughton 0.15Lerna 0.04
Property tax bill+79%
Tax bills are bigger in Lerna
Lerna $1,339Broughton $750
Average commute8 min
Lerna has the shorter commute
Broughton 29 minLerna 21 min
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
BroughtonLerna
Snow a year13″15″
January low22°F20°F
July high89°F86°F
Growing season (days)190d199d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)64th74th
Outdoors & history
BroughtonLerna
Archive photos—1
Famous people born here—1
Community
BroughtonLerna
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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

103 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BroughtonILLernaIL
Broughton ↔ Lerna103 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.

BroughtonLerna
People
Population 206Lowest 226Highest
Median age 31.4±8 19% below IL 31.4±17 19% below IL
Kids under 18 30.1%±7.1Highest IL: 21.8% 22.1%±6.2Lowest IL: 21.8%
Broughton and Lerna are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 12.1%±16.7Lowest IL: 17% 24.8%±8.6Highest IL: 17%
Lerna and Broughton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 5.7%Lowest IL: 37.8% 11.3%Highest IL: 37.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.9%±9.1Lowest IL: 6.3% 4.4%±6.5Highest IL: 6.3%
Lerna and Broughton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $54,375±$25kLowest 35% below IL $67,679±$29kHighest 19% below IL
Lerna and Broughton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied — $94,400±$29k 64% below IL
Rentmedian gross, monthly — $850±$248 33% below IL
Property taxmedian, yearly $750Lowest 86% below IL $1,339Highest 75% below IL
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 75%±100Highest IL: 47.9% 15%±96.2Lowest IL: 47.9%
Broughton and Lerna are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 22.8%Highest IL: 11.8% 14.6%Lowest IL: 11.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 81%Highest IL: 67.1% 77%Lowest IL: 67.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1964Highest 7 yrs older than IL 1957Lowest 14 yrs older than IL
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 29 minHighest 4% above IL 21 minLowest 23% below IL
Work from home 0%±16Lowest IL: 15.9% 6.5%±5.3Highest IL: 15.9%
Lerna and Broughton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0% 0%
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 36.8 miHighest 18.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.15Highest 0.04Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Mount Vernon (18%)Mattoon (30%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in LernaFew work in Broughton
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.2 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 12.7Lowest 215Highest
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.

Broughton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Broughton’s Town Square.

Lerna neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Lerna’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Broughton and Lerna

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

Towns like Broughton

V
+ Compare
Vermilion219 people · $76K homes
B
+ Compare
Bone Gap220 people · $80K homes
+ Compare
Gorham248 people · $26K homes
+ Compare
Dana152 people · $85K homes
Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Illinois towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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.

Post to Broughton

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in