Compare towns
Gibbs vs Ionia 120 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (3.1× in Ionia).
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.
Gibbs A small town of 62
Quiet strengths Gibbs doesn’t stand out on the data we have Neighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Gibbs →
Ionia A small town of 74
Quiet strengths Ionia doesn’t stand out on the data we have Neighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Ionia →
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
Gibbs $1,880 /mo
Typical home $278K (Zillow) · tax rate est. 1.8% · Housing →
Ionia $1,910 /mo
Typical home $283K (Zillow) · tax rate est. 1.8% · 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.
Outdoors & history
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 120 miles apart Straight-line miles between town centers.
Gibbs ↔ Ionia 120 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
62 Lowest 74 Highest
Median age
60 ±12.3 Highest 54% above MO 57.6 ±6.6 Lowest 48% above MO
Kids under 18
12.9% ±40.5 Lowest MO: 22.3% 13.5% ±38.2 Highest MO: 22.3%
Age 65+
24.2% ±55.9 Lowest MO: 17.9% 28.4% ±27.8 Highest MO: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
3.7% Highest MO: 32.4% 3.2% Lowest MO: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
0% ±27.4 MO: 5.7% 0% ±22.9 MO: 5.7%
Household incomemedian
— $16,875 ±$11k 76% below MO
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
— $64,300 ±$19k 72% below MO
Property taxmedian, yearly
$527 73% below MO —
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
— 100% ±100 MO: 45.6%
Below poverty line
33.9% Lowest MO: 12.6% 48.6% Highest MO: 12.6%
Homeownersof occupied homes
96.3% Highest MO: 68.1% 92.3% Lowest MO: 68.1%
Typical home builtmedian year
1960 Highest 18 yrs older than MO 1959 Lowest 19 yrs older than MO
Average commuteone way
— 35 min 49% above MO
Work from home
42.9% ±34 Highest MO: 13% 0% ±63.2 Lowest MO: 13%
Work in townworking residents
0% 0%
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line
16.8 mi Lowest 60.8 mi Highest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub
0.00 0.00
Top workplaceoutside town
Kirksville (34%) Sedalia (18%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others
Few work in Ionia Few work in Gibbs
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
48.5 Lowest 151 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.
Gibbs or Ionia: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Gibbs? → Moving to Gibbs: what should I know? →
1 neighbor in Gibbs can answer.
Ionia or Gibbs: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Ionia? → Moving to Ionia: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Ionia’s Town Square.
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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