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%

Highland$1,890/mo

Typical home $276K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.93% · or rent about $855/mo · Housing →

Waterloo$2,200/mo

Typical home $331K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.68% · or rent about $886/mo · Housing →

The difference: $310 a month, about $3,700 a year, between Waterloo and Highland.

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

Waterloo places higher on 14 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

A−HighlandSafer than 77% of U.S. towns –WaterlooNot graded

Schools

–HighlandNot graded A−WaterlooBetter than 81% of districts in the state

Health

A−HighlandHealthier than 75% of U.S. towns A−WaterlooHealthier than 82% of U.S. towns

6Highland

14Waterloo

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

Most trailsOutdoors · 665 towns #180#484 Fastest growingGrowth · 859 towns #338#50 Lowest depressionHealth · 861 towns #565#388 Most remote workersWork · 849 towns #454#300 Most library borrowingLibraries · 262 towns #107#64 Highest incomeIncome · 862 towns #416#281 Most affordableCost of living · 861 towns #410#534 Most new homesHousing · 431 towns #110#52

Left end = #1 in Illinois. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Highland’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

HighlandWaterloo

Snow a year10″9″

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)75th 60th

Outdoors & history

HighlandWaterloo

Trails6 mi 2 mi

Conserved land5.3%4.4%

Settled1837 1818

National Register places—3

Archive photos6 10

Famous people born here14 —

Community

HighlandWaterloo

Library hours a week54 hrs 61 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

39 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

HighlandIL WaterlooIL

Highland ↔ Waterloo39 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

HighlandWaterloo

People

Population 10,262Lowest 11,129Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +0.7%Lowest +12.3%Highest

Median age 41.8±3.1Highest 7% above IL 41.5±2.6Lowest 6% above IL

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

Kids under 18 19.2%±3.4Lowest IL: 21.8% 21.9%±2.8Highest IL: 21.8%

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

Age 65+ 19.8%±2.7Lowest IL: 17% 20.6%±3.2Highest IL: 17%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 35.8%Lowest IL: 37.8% 37.3%Highest IL: 37.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.5%±2.1Highest IL: 6.3% 4.2%±1.5Lowest IL: 6.3%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $82,551±$13kLowest about the IL average $98,711±$13kHighest 18% above IL

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $202,900±$14kLowest 23% below IL $249,500±$18kHighest 5% below IL

Rentmedian gross, monthly $855±$110Lowest 33% below IL $886±$118Highest 30% below IL

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $3,908Lowest 26% below IL $4,198Highest 21% below IL

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 43.7%±8Lowest IL: 47.9% 48%±15.5Highest IL: 47.9%

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

Below poverty line 6%Highest IL: 11.8% 5.9%Lowest IL: 11.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 72.7%Lowest IL: 67.1% 78.2%Highest IL: 67.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 1979Lowest 8 yrs newer than IL 1991Highest 20 yrs newer than IL

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 27 minHighest about the IL average 27 minLowest 4% below IL

Work from home 10.2%±3.9Lowest IL: 15.9% 12.9%±4.3Highest IL: 15.9%

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

Work in townworking residents 23.4%Highest 15.9%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 19.3 miLowest 20.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.22Highest 0.63Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town St. Louis (7%)St. Louis (11%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in WaterlooFew work in Highland

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 5.3%Highest 4.4%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 6.1 miHighest 1.6 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.8 miHighest 0.2 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 9Highest 7Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 57.9Highest 53.0Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#56 of 384 in IL

School district —Waterloo CUSD 5

High school in town —Waterloo High School

Students per teacherat that high school — 17.1

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.

Highland neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Highland’s Town Square.

Waterloo neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Waterloo’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Highland and Waterloo

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

Towns like Highland

+ Compare

Lynwood9,083 people · $218K homes

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Fort Russell Township9,167 people · $252K homes

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Helvetia Township8,328 people · $213K homes

+ Compare

Woodside Township11,416 people · $130K 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.

Highland vs Waterloo

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $310 more a month in Waterloo

Waterloo places higher on 14 of 22 IL lists

What daily life feels like in each

39 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Highland and Waterloo

Towns like Highland

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