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%

Irwin$1,080/mo

Typical home $161K (Census) · tax rate 1.77% · or rent about $1,125/mo · Housing →

Columbus$710/mo

Typical home $111K (Census) · tax rate 1.40% · or rent about $825/mo · Housing →

The difference: $370 a month, about $4,400 a year, between Irwin and Columbus.

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

IrwinColumbus

Snow a year21″21″

January low16°F 18°F

July high85°F 87°F

Growing season (days)188d 179d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)77th 50th

Outdoors & history

IrwinColumbus

Trails—0 mi

Conserved land—0%

Settled—1835

Archive photos1 —

Famous people born here1 —

Community

IrwinColumbus

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

182 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

IrwinIL ColumbusIL

Irwin ↔ Columbus182 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

IrwinColumbus

People

Population 78Lowest 106Highest

Median age 38.1±6.6Highest about the IL average 36.4±12.1Lowest 7% below IL

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

Kids under 18 29.5%±23.5Highest IL: 21.8% 28.3%±18.7Lowest IL: 21.8%

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

Age 65+ 10.3%±48.2Lowest IL: 17% 20.8%±25.7Highest IL: 17%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 30.2%Highest IL: 37.8% 19.1%Lowest IL: 37.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.6%±17.4Lowest IL: 6.3% 2.8%±13.1Highest IL: 6.3%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $102,750±$26kHighest 23% above IL $75,000±$27kLowest 10% below IL

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $160,900±$28kHighest 39% below IL $111,400±$13kLowest 58% below IL

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,125±$327Highest 12% below IL $825±$200Lowest 35% below IL

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,850Highest 46% below IL $1,556Lowest 71% below IL

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 33.3%±100 IL: 47.9% 33.3%±100 IL: 47.9%

Below poverty line 3.8%Lowest IL: 11.8% 10.4%Highest IL: 11.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 87.1%Highest IL: 67.1% 85.7%Lowest IL: 67.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 1938Lowest 33 yrs older than IL 1971Highest same as IL

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 27 minLowest about the IL average 35 minHighest 25% above IL

Work from home 16.3%±14.4Highest IL: 15.9% 7.1%±13.6Lowest IL: 15.9%

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

Work in townworking residents 0% 0%

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 10.3 miLowest 13.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.45Highest 0.22Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Kankakee (29%)Quincy (60%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ColumbusFew work in Irwin

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Trail densitymiles per sq mi — 0.0 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 108Highest 50.1Lowest

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.

Irwin neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Irwin’s Town Square.

Columbus neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Columbus’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Irwin and Columbus

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

Towns like Irwin

+ Compare

Union Hill73 people · $158K homes

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Eppards Point Township112 people

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Hidalgo60 people

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Brouilletts Creek Township160 people · $145K homes

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Illinois towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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.

Irwin vs Columbus

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $370 more a month in Irwin

What daily life feels like in each

182 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

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Towns like Irwin

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