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

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

Health

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

14Cortland

8Berkeley

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

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

Left end = #1 in Illinois. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Cortland’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%

Cortland$2,280/mo

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

Berkeley$2,270/mo

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

CortlandBerkeley

Snow a year33″42″

January low13°F —

July high83°F —

Growing season (days)177d —

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

Outdoors & history

CortlandBerkeley

Trails0 mi 0 mi

Conserved land1.5%1.3%

Settled1865 —

Archive photos2 17

Famous people born here3 —

Community

CortlandBerkeley

Library hours a week64 hrs 54 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 1

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.

CortlandIL BerkeleyIL

Cortland ↔ Berkeley40 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

CortlandBerkeley

People

Population 4,564Lowest 5,199Highest

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

Median age 31.5±3.4Lowest 19% below IL 33.6±5Highest 14% 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 29%±6Highest IL: 21.8% 26.9%±9.3Lowest 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+ 7.9%±2.9Lowest IL: 17% 17%±5.2Highest IL: 17%

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

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6%±2.7Highest IL: 6.3% 3.9%±2.1Lowest 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 $73,971±$18kLowest 11% below IL $85,823±$14kHighest about the IL average

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $233,200±$22kLowest 11% below IL $246,900±$21kHighest 6% 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 $1,552±$364Highest 22% above IL $1,434±$210Lowest 13% 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 $6,624Highest 25% above IL $6,224Lowest 17% above IL

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 78%±20.4Highest IL: 47.9% 74.2%±55.1Lowest 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 7%Lowest IL: 11.8% 17.5%Highest IL: 11.8%

Housing

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

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

Getting to work

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

Work from home 9.6%±3.7Lowest IL: 15.9% 14.5%±9.5Highest 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 2%Highest 1.6%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 20.8 miHighest 9.8 miLowest

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

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

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BerkeleyFew work in Cortland

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.5%Highest 1.3%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.4 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 6Highest 1Lowest

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

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.

Cortland neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Cortland’s Town Square.

Berkeley neighborsTown Square →

T Weaver · 1w

Best View in Berkeley

1 neighbor in Berkeley can answer.

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Bordering Cortland

+ Compare

DeKalb40,443 people · $205K homes

Towns like Cortland

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Tolono3,566 people · $209K homes

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Indian Grove Township4,119 people · $164K homes

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Elsah Township2,799 people · $153K homes

+ Compare

Tuscola4,808 people · $154K 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.

Cortland vs Berkeley

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 Cortland and Berkeley

Bordering Cortland

Towns like Cortland

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