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%

Leaf River$930/mo

Typical home $129K (Zillow) · tax rate 2.38% · or rent about $917/mo · Housing →

Bismarck$1,210/mo

Typical home $180K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.79% · or rent about $856/mo · Housing →

The difference: $280 a month, about $3,400 a year, between Bismarck and Leaf River.

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

Leaf RiverBismarck

Snow a year32″15″

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)62nd 58th

Outdoors & history

Leaf RiverBismarck

Settled1882 1873

Archive photos5 2

Community

Leaf RiverBismarck

Library hours a week39 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

159 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Leaf RiverIL BismarckIL

Leaf River ↔ Bismarck159 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

Leaf RiverBismarck

People

Population 477Lowest 507Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census — +0.5%

Median age 43.4±12.5Highest 11% above IL 41.8±8.8Lowest 7% above IL

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

Kids under 18 19.7%±3.9Lowest IL: 21.8% 26.8%±4.3Highest IL: 21.8%

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

Age 65+ 16.4%±6Highest IL: 17% 15.6%±4.3Lowest IL: 17%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 17%Lowest IL: 37.8% 21.7%Highest IL: 37.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.2%±3.7Highest IL: 6.3% 2.2%±3.6Lowest IL: 6.3%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $79,500±$14kLowest 5% below IL $79,583±$39kHighest 5% below IL

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $94,000±$6kLowest 64% below IL $114,500±$21kHighest 57% below IL

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $917±$201Highest 28% below IL $856±$235Lowest 33% below IL

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,239Highest 58% below IL $2,054Lowest 61% below IL

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 44.1%±18.6Highest IL: 47.9% 40%±67.5Lowest IL: 47.9%

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

Below poverty line 12.8%Highest IL: 11.8% 9.9%Lowest IL: 11.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 84.1%Highest IL: 67.1% 82.1%Lowest IL: 67.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 1950Lowest 21 yrs older than IL 1971Highest same as IL

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 29 minHighest about the IL average 24 minLowest 14% below IL

Work from home 3%±2.8Lowest IL: 15.9% 10.5%±9.8Highest IL: 15.9%

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

Work in townworking residents 0.9%Lowest 4.9%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 21.8 miHighest 10.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.16Lowest 0.70Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Rockford (24%)Danville (37%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BismarckFew work in Leaf River

Outdoors

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 40.5Highest 37.8Lowest

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.

Leaf River neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Leaf River’s Town Square.

Bismarck neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Bismarck’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Leaf River and Bismarck

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Towns like Leaf River

+ Compare

Cullom471 people · $101K homes

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Forest City Township440 people · $111K homes

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Tallula494 people · $95K homes

+ Compare

Watson620 people · $100K 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.

Leaf River vs Bismarck

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $280 more a month in Bismarck

What daily life feels like in each

159 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Leaf River and Bismarck

Towns like Leaf River

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