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%

Forrest$1,330/mo

Typical home $180K (Zillow) · tax rate 2.58% · or rent about $730/mo · Housing →

Loami$1,390/mo

Typical home $210K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.63% · or rent about $907/mo · Housing →

The difference: $60 a month, about $700 a year, between Loami and Forrest.

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

ForrestLoami

Snow a year14″22″

January low—20°F

July high—87°F

Growing season (days)—187d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)68th 38th

Outdoors & history

ForrestLoami

Trails—0 mi

Conserved land—0%

Settled1866 1875

Archive photos5 —

Famous people born here4 —

Community

ForrestLoami

Library hours a week36 hrs —

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

106 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

ForrestIL LoamiIL

Forrest ↔ Loami106 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

ForrestLoami

People

Population 994Highest 782Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -14.7%Lowest +9%Highest

Median age 34.1±6.8Highest 13% below IL 31.9±6.2Lowest 18% below IL

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

Kids under 18 23.2%±5.2Lowest IL: 21.8% 26.5%±5.1Highest IL: 21.8%

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

Age 65+ 16.5%±2.9Highest IL: 17% 15.2%±3.5Lowest IL: 17%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 18.9%Lowest IL: 37.8% 22.9%Highest IL: 37.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.8%±1.4Lowest IL: 6.3% 3.1%±2.1Highest IL: 6.3%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $73,426±$7kHighest 12% below IL $57,813±$16kLowest 31% below IL

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $113,000±$14kLowest 57% below IL $131,900±$26kHighest 50% below IL

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $730±$50Lowest 43% below IL $907±$89Highest 29% below IL

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,910Highest 45% below IL $2,156Lowest 59% below IL

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 11.8%±22.9Lowest IL: 47.9% 55.9%±29.1Highest IL: 47.9%

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

Below poverty line 10%Lowest IL: 11.8% 12.9%Highest IL: 11.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 79%Highest IL: 67.1% 75.7%Lowest IL: 67.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 1955Lowest 16 yrs older than IL 1978Highest 7 yrs newer than IL

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 26 minLowest 6% below IL 27 minHighest 3% below IL

Work from home 5.7%±4.1Lowest IL: 15.9% 15.2%±7.1Highest IL: 15.9%

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

Work in townworking residents 9.3%Highest 0.6%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 21.3 miHighest 13.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.10Highest 0.24Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Fairbury (10%)Springfield (50%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in LoamiFew work in Forrest

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 0Lowest 1Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 130Highest 32.6Lowest

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.

Forrest neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Forrest’s Town Square.

Loami neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Loami’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Forrest and Loami

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

Towns like Forrest

+ Compare

Raymond1,030 people · $108K homes

+ Compare

Tompkins Township1,056 people · $101K homes

+ Compare

Marine1,049 people · $157K homes

+ Compare

Cerro Gordo1,349 people · $109K 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.

Forrest vs Loami

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs about the same each month

What daily life feels like in each

106 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Forrest and Loami

Towns like Forrest

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