Compare towns
Flat Rock vs Dowell 108 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (6.3× in Flat Rock) and street grid (2.3× in Dowell).
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.
Flat Rock A small town of 337
Quiet strengths Flat Rock doesn’t stand out on the data we have Neighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Flat Rock →
Dowell A small town of 299
Quiet strengths Dowell doesn’t stand out on the data we have Neighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Dowell →
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.
★ What stands out · 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 payment3.5% 10% 20% Rate
Flat Rock $410 /mo
Typical home $67K (Census) · tax rate 1.12% · Housing →
Dowell $330 /mo
Typical home $51K (Census) · tax rate 1.43% · Housing →
The difference: $80 a month , about $1,000 a year , between Flat Rock and Dowell.
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.
Outdoors & history
Famous people born here 2 —
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 108 miles apart Straight-line miles between town centers.
Flat Rock ↔ Dowell 108 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.
Raising kids Affordability Owning a home Short commute Working from home Younger crowd Settled, older crowd Growing town Outdoorsy Walkable streets
Population
337 Highest 299 Lowest
Median age
41.5 ±18.3 Highest 6% above IL 40.6 ±9.7 Lowest 4% above IL
Kids under 18
17.5% ±7.1 Lowest IL: 21.8% 22.1% ±7.7 Highest IL: 21.8%
Age 65+
21.4% ±3.7 Highest IL: 17% 14.4% ±3.4 Lowest IL: 17%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
7.2% Lowest IL: 37.8% 10.8% Highest IL: 37.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
2.1% ±4.3 Lowest IL: 6.3% 7% ±5.2 Highest IL: 6.3%
Household incomemedian
$51,667 ±$24k Lowest 38% below IL $55,714 ±$10k Highest 33% below IL
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$66,600 ±$10k Highest 75% below IL $50,800 ±$27k Lowest 81% below IL
Property taxmedian, yearly
$744 Highest 86% below IL $724 Lowest 86% below IL
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
0% ±100 IL: 47.9% 0% ±100 IL: 47.9%
Below poverty line
11.9% Lowest IL: 11.8% 19.5% Highest IL: 11.8%
Homeownersof occupied homes
87.7% Lowest IL: 67.1% 90.7% Highest IL: 67.1%
Typical home builtmedian year
1954 Lowest 17 yrs older than IL 1971 Highest same as IL
Average commuteone way
26 min Highest 7% below IL 24 min Lowest 13% below IL
Work from home
5.5% ±5.7 Lowest IL: 15.9% 10.2% ±10.5 Highest IL: 15.9%
Work in townworking residents
0% 0%
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line
8.8 mi Lowest 14.8 mi Highest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub
0.25 Highest 0.04 Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town
Robinson (42%) Carbondale (19%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others
Few work in Dowell Few work in Flat Rock
Conserved landshare of the town
0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles
0.2 mi Highest 0.0 mi Lowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi
0.3 mi Highest 0.0 mi Lowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map
1 Highest 0 Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure
58.3 Lowest 135 Highest
“±” Census margin of error ACS 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.
Flat Rock or Dowell: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Flat Rock? → Moving to Flat Rock: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Flat Rock’s Town Square.
Dowell or Flat Rock: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Dowell? → Moving to Dowell: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Dowell’s Town Square.
Add a town Set another town beside Flat Rock and Dowell One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.
Towns like Flat Rock 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.
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