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%

Herrin$760/mo

Typical home $113K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.82% · or rent about $1,002/mo · Housing →

Olney$910/mo

Typical home $133K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.90% · or rent about $809/mo · Housing →

The difference: $150 a month, about $1,800 a year, between Olney and Herrin.

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.

Report cards

Olney places higher on 12 of 22 IL lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Illinois ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

C−HerrinSafer than 19% of U.S. towns C+OlneySafer than 42% of U.S. towns

Schools

B−HerrinBetter than 46% of districts in the state –OlneyNot graded

Health

CHerrinHealthier than 33% of U.S. towns COlneyHealthier than 32% of U.S. towns

6Herrin

12Olney

Lists won, of 22 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most remote workersWork · 849 towns #400#738 Most new homesHousing · 431 towns #125#249 Highest graduation rateSchools · 669 towns #428#237 Most-used librariesLibraries · 262 towns #197#124 Cheapest rentCost of living · 840 towns #366#154 Most library borrowingLibraries · 262 towns #200#135 Fastest growingGrowth · 859 towns #463#642 Shortest commuteGetting around · 862 towns #256#83

Left end = #1 in Illinois. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Herrin’s rankings →

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

HerrinOlney

Snow a year10″11″

January low—21°F

July high—87°F

Growing season (days)—189d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)79th 52nd

Outdoors & history

HerrinOlney

Trails1 mi 2 mi

Conserved land2.1%2.2%

Settled1816 1848

National Register places—4

Community

HerrinOlney

Library hours a week47 hrs 50 hrs

Colleges in town—1

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

82 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

HerrinIL OlneyIL

Herrin ↔ Olney82 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

HerrinOlney

People

Population 12,226Highest 8,577Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -1.2%Highest -4.5%Lowest

Median age 41.2±2.7Highest 6% above IL 41±2Lowest 5% above IL

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

Kids under 18 20.8%±2.8Lowest IL: 21.8% 23.8%±2.8Highest IL: 21.8%

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

Age 65+ 19.1%±2.9Lowest IL: 17% 21.6%±2.6Highest IL: 17%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 22.8%Highest IL: 37.8% 21.2%Lowest IL: 37.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4%±1.3Lowest IL: 6.3% 4.3%±1.2Highest IL: 6.3%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $59,975±$6kLowest 28% below IL $59,980±$8kHighest 28% below IL

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $113,300±$10kHighest 57% below IL $99,800±$8kLowest 62% below IL

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,002±$98Highest 21% below IL $809±$39Lowest 36% below IL

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,059Highest 61% below IL $1,893Lowest 64% below IL

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 51.1%±12.4Highest IL: 47.9% 49.6%±10.8Lowest IL: 47.9%

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

Below poverty line 14.5%Highest IL: 11.8% 14.2%Lowest IL: 11.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 65.7%Highest IL: 67.1% 65.4%Lowest IL: 67.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 1969Highest 2 yrs older than IL 1968Lowest 3 yrs older than IL

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 22 minHighest 21% below IL 17 minLowest 38% below IL

Work from home 10.9%±4.2Highest IL: 15.9% 5%±2.1Lowest IL: 15.9%

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

Work in townworking residents 16.6%Lowest 33.8%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 8.3 miLowest 21.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.82Lowest 1.11Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Marion (23%)Olney Township (7%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in OlneyFew work in Herrin

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2.1%Lowest 2.2%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.7 miLowest 2.0 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.3 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2 2

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 76.6Highest 76.1Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #193 of 384 in IL—

School district Herrin CUSD 4—

High school in town Herrin High School—

Students per teacherat that high school 12.8 —

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.

Herrin neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Herrin’s Town Square.

Olney neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Olney’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Herrin and Olney

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

Bordering Herrin

+ Compare

Energy1,050 people · $152K homes

+ Compare

Crainville1,641 people · $185K homes

+ Compare

Carterville5,818 people · $197K homes

Towns like Herrin

+ Compare

Olney Township9,847 people · $109K homes

+ Compare

Sterling14,717 people · $109K homes

+ Compare

LaSalle Township13,287 people · $123K homes

+ Compare

Sterling Township17,089 people · $115K 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.

Herrin vs Olney

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs about the same each month

Olney places higher on 12 of 22 IL lists

What daily life feels like in each

82 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Herrin and Olney

Bordering Herrin

Towns like Herrin

Post to Herrin

Check your email