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%

Hoffman$930/mo

Typical home $138K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.84% · or rent about $675/mo · Housing →

Niantic$990/mo

Typical home $141K (Zillow) · tax rate 2.12% · or rent about $1,066/mo · Housing →

The difference: $60 a month, about $700 a year, between Niantic and Hoffman.

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

HoffmanNiantic

Snow a year7″19″

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)73rd 38th

Outdoors & history

HoffmanNiantic

Trails0 mi 0 mi

Conserved land0%0%

Archive photos—6

Famous people born here—1

Community

HoffmanNiantic

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

91 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

HoffmanIL NianticIL

Hoffman ↔ Niantic91 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

HoffmanNiantic

People

Population 607Lowest 671Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -13.6%Lowest -13.4%Highest

Median age 33.5±11.9Lowest 14% below IL 33.8±6.6Highest 13% below IL

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

Kids under 18 30%±13.1Lowest IL: 21.8% 32.2%±9.4Highest IL: 21.8%

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

Age 65+ 14.8%±2.4Highest IL: 17% 12.5%±2.9Lowest IL: 17%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 11.9%Highest IL: 37.8% 8.4%Lowest IL: 37.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.5%±1.7Highest IL: 6.3% 3.1%±3.3Lowest IL: 6.3%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $66,667±$16kLowest 20% below IL $67,155±$9kHighest 19% below IL

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $106,700±$19kLowest 59% below IL $114,800±$11kHighest 56% below IL

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $675±$95Lowest 47% below IL $1,066±$364Highest 16% below IL

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,959Lowest 63% below IL $2,430Highest 54% below IL

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 5.6%±100Lowest IL: 47.9% 68%±91Highest IL: 47.9%

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

Below poverty line 5.6%Lowest IL: 11.8% 7.7%Highest IL: 11.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 85.7%Lowest IL: 67.1% 88.6%Highest IL: 67.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 1966Highest 5 yrs older than IL 1944Lowest 27 yrs older than IL

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 23 minLowest 17% below IL 25 minHighest 12% below IL

Work from home 1.3%±1.7Lowest IL: 15.9% 4.9%±3.2Highest IL: 15.9%

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

Work in townworking residents 0%Lowest 1.8%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 22.8 miHighest 13.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.61Highest 0.28Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Centralia (19%)Decatur (50%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in NianticFew work in Hoffman

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 0.2 miLowest 0.3 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 miHighest 0.3 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1 1

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 51.7Highest 36.7Lowest

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.

Hoffman neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Hoffman’s Town Square.

Niantic neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Niantic’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Hoffman and Niantic

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Towns like Hoffman

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Eastern Township600 people · $132K homes

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Ohio609 people · $99K homes

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Malden460 people · $113K homes

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Owaneco613 people · $102K 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.

Hoffman vs Niantic

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs about the same each month

What daily life feels like in each

91 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Hoffman and Niantic

Towns like Hoffman

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