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%

Cullom$1,100/mo

Typical home $158K (Zillow) · tax rate 2.06% · or rent about $969/mo · Housing →

Bismarck$1,210/mo

Typical home $180K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.79% · or rent about $856/mo · Housing →

The difference: $110 a month, about $1,300 a year, between Bismarck and Cullom.

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

CullomBismarck

Snow a year28″15″

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)54th 58th

Outdoors & history

CullomBismarck

Settled—1873

Archive photos2 2

Famous people born here2 —

Community

CullomBismarck

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.

CullomIL BismarckIL

Cullom ↔ Bismarck55 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

CullomBismarck

People

Population 471Lowest 507Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -6.3%Lowest +0.5%Highest

Median age 41.5±13Lowest 6% above IL 41.8±8.8Highest 7% above IL

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

Kids under 18 19.1%±5.9Lowest IL: 21.8% 26.8%±4.3Highest IL: 21.8%

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

Age 65+ 24%±4.2Highest IL: 17% 15.6%±4.3Lowest IL: 17%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 16.9%Lowest IL: 37.8% 21.7%Highest IL: 37.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.7%±3Highest IL: 6.3% 2.2%±3.6Lowest IL: 6.3%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $65,417±$17kLowest 22% below IL $79,583±$39kHighest 5% below IL

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $100,800±$17kLowest 62% below IL $114,500±$21kHighest 57% below IL

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $969±$101Highest 24% below IL $856±$235Lowest 33% below IL

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,081Highest 61% below IL $2,054Lowest 61% below IL

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 20.6%±54.9Lowest IL: 47.9% 40%±67.5Highest IL: 47.9%

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

Below poverty line 11.7%Highest IL: 11.8% 9.9%Lowest IL: 11.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 83.4%Highest IL: 67.1% 82.1%Lowest IL: 67.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 1954Lowest 17 yrs older than IL 1971Highest same as IL

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 26 minHighest 6% below IL 24 minLowest 14% below IL

Work from home 0.9%±1.8Lowest IL: 15.9% 10.5%±9.8Highest IL: 15.9%

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

Work in townworking residents 1.4%Lowest 4.9%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 32.8 miHighest 10.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.21Lowest 0.70Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Pontiac (12%)Danville (37%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BismarckFew work in Cullom

Outdoors

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 107Highest 37.8Lowest

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.

Cullom neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Cullom’s Town Square.

Bismarck neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Bismarck’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Cullom

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Leaf River477 people · $94K homes

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Stratton Township493 people · $117K homes

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Watson620 people · $100K homes

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Chili Township628 people · $81K 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.

Cullom vs Bismarck

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs about the same each month

What daily life feels like in each

55 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Cullom and Bismarck

Towns like Cullom

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