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%

Manhattan$2,970/mo

Typical home $399K (Zillow) · tax rate 2.64% · or rent about $1,213/mo · Housing →

Minooka$2,620/mo

Typical home $374K (Zillow) · tax rate 2.11% · or rent about $1,552/mo · Housing →

The difference: $350 a month, about $4,200 a year, between Manhattan and Minooka.

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

Manhattan places higher on 12 of 20 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+ManhattanSafer than 96% of U.S. towns –MinookaNot graded

Health

A−ManhattanHealthier than 81% of U.S. towns A−MinookaHealthier than 80% of U.S. towns

12Manhattan

5Minooka

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most new homesHousing · 431 towns #17#218 Most conserved landOutdoors · 838 towns #427#694 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 861 towns #87#342 Most trailsOutdoors · 665 towns #514#326 Highest graduation rateSchools · 669 towns #18#202 Cheapest rentCost of living · 840 towns #512#672 Lowest property taxCost of living · 860 towns #761#638 Shortest commuteGetting around · 862 towns #850#744

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

ManhattanMinooka

Snow a year17″18″

January low17°F 17°F

July high84°F 85°F

Growing season (days)188d 191d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)45th 45th

Outdoors & history

ManhattanMinooka

Trails1 mi 4 mi

Conserved land3.4%0.9%

Settled1886 1869

Archive photos—12

Community

ManhattanMinooka

Library hours a week47 hrs 57 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

16 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

ManhattanMinooka

Manhattan ↔ Minooka16 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

ManhattanMinooka

People

Population 11,026Lowest 12,891Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +33.1%Highest +16.8%Lowest

Median age 32.8±2.3Highest 16% below IL 32.1±1.9Lowest 18% below IL

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

Kids under 18 30.6%±4.1Highest IL: 21.8% 28.1%±3.6Lowest IL: 21.8%

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

Age 65+ 8.2%±2.2Lowest IL: 17% 8.3%±1.9Highest IL: 17%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 35%Highest IL: 37.8% 30.4%Lowest IL: 37.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5%±1.9Lowest IL: 6.3% 8.3%±2.3Highest IL: 6.3%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $128,522±$6kHighest 54% above IL $115,445±$15kLowest 38% above IL

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $332,600±$23kHighest 26% above IL $315,600±$12kLowest 20% above IL

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,213±$253Lowest 5% below IL $1,552±$374Highest 22% above IL

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $8,785Highest 66% above IL $6,658Lowest 26% above IL

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 54.9%±22.9Lowest IL: 47.9% 57.8%±37Highest IL: 47.9%

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

Below poverty line 4.2%Highest IL: 11.8% 2.6%Lowest IL: 11.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 88.3%Lowest IL: 67.1% 91.6%Highest IL: 67.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 2005Highest 34 yrs newer than IL 2003Lowest 32 yrs newer than IL

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 38 minHighest 35% above IL 32 minLowest 14% above IL

Work from home 11.8%±3.6Highest IL: 15.9% 10.2%±3.8Lowest IL: 15.9%

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

Work in townworking residents 4.8%Lowest 7.1%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 17.8 miLowest 22.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.19Lowest 0.78Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Chicago (9%)Joliet (11%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in MinookaFew work in Manhattan

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 3.4%Highest 0.9%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 1.1 miLowest 3.6 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 0.4 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 4 4

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 43.7Highest 36.4Lowest

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.

Manhattan neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Manhattan’s Town Square.

Minooka neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Minooka’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Manhattan and Minooka

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

Towns like Manhattan

+ Compare

Manhattan Township12,424 people · $347K homes

+ Compare

Kendall Township9,269 people · $366K homes

+ Compare

Aux Sable Township15,630 people · $321K homes

+ Compare

Na-Au-Say Township11,001 people · $339K 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.

Manhattan vs Minooka

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $350 more a month in Manhattan

Manhattan places higher on 12 of 20 IL lists

What daily life feels like in each

16 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Manhattan and Minooka

Towns like Manhattan

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