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%

Exeter$660/mo

Typical home $95K (Census) · tax rate 2.11% · or rent about $750/mo · Housing →

Browning$470/mo

Typical home $71K (Census) · tax rate 1.68% · Housing →

The difference: $190 a month, about $2,300 a year, between Exeter and Browning.

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

ExeterBrowning

Snow a year16″12″

January low18°F —

July high87°F —

Growing season (days)179d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)92nd 75th

Community

ExeterBrowning

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

29 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

ExeterBrowning

Exeter ↔ Browning29 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

ExeterBrowning

People

Population 106Highest 99Lowest

Median age 44.5±11.6Highest 14% above IL 43.8±34.8Lowest 12% above IL

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

Kids under 18 10.4%±25.4Lowest IL: 21.8% 26.3%±37.2Highest IL: 21.8%

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

Age 65+ 10.4%±37.2Lowest IL: 17% 17.2%±29.2Highest IL: 17%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 2.3%Lowest IL: 37.8% 7.1%Highest IL: 37.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.5%±13.3Highest IL: 6.3% 0%±18.6Lowest IL: 6.3%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $61,250±$26k 27% below IL —

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $95,000±$49kHighest 64% below IL $71,400±$9kLowest 73% below IL

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $750±$691 41% below IL —

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,000Highest 62% below IL $1,196Lowest 77% below IL

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 50%±100Lowest IL: 47.9% 100%±100Highest IL: 47.9%

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

Below poverty line 14.2%Highest IL: 11.8% 4%Lowest IL: 11.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 78.9%Highest IL: 67.1% 72.5%Lowest IL: 67.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 1970Highest 1 yr older than IL 1947Lowest 24 yrs older than IL

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 18 minLowest 36% below IL 27 minHighest 5% below IL

Work from home 6.8%±10.5Highest IL: 15.9% 0%±29.5Lowest IL: 15.9%

Exeter and Browning 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 44.8 miHighest 22.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.06Highest 0.02Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Springfield (19%)Rushville (32%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BrowningFew work in Exeter

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 22.3%Highest

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 19.0Lowest 45.4Highest

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.

Exeter neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Exeter’s Town Square.

Browning neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Browning’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Exeter and Browning

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

Towns like Exeter

+ Compare

Emington131 people · $91K homes

+ Compare

Iola90 people · $65K homes

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Harmon100 people · $152K homes

+ Compare

Kingston Mines182 people · $75K 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.

Exeter vs Browning

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $190 more a month in Exeter

What daily life feels like in each

29 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Exeter and Browning

Towns like Exeter

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