Compare towns
Nelson vs Ferris 122 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (3.2× in Ferris) and property tax bill (+32% in Nelson).
Where each one shines Two towns, two different strengths What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.
Nelson A small town of 125
Quiet strengths Nelson doesn’t stand out on the data we have Neighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Nelson →
Ferris A small town of 105
Quiet strengths Ferris doesn’t stand out on the data we have Neighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Ferris →
The biggest differences Where they differ most The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.
★ What stands out · Monthly cost A typical home costs about the same each month 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 payment3.5% 10% 20% Rate
Nelson $560 /mo
Typical home $86K (Census) · tax rate 1.51% · Housing →
Ferris $490 /mo
Typical home $78K (Census) · tax rate 1.27% · Housing →
The difference: $70 a month , about $800 a year , between Nelson and Ferris.
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.
Outdoors & history
Famous people born here — 1
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 122 miles apart Straight-line miles between town centers.
Nelson ↔ Ferris 122 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.
Raising kids Affordability Owning a home Short commute Working from home Younger crowd Settled, older crowd Growing town Outdoorsy Walkable streets
Population
125 Highest 105 Lowest
Median age
56.9 ±15.8 Highest 46% above IL 55.8 ±19.9 Lowest 43% above IL
Kids under 18
8.8% ±22.2 Lowest IL: 21.8% 24.8% ±30.5 Highest IL: 21.8%
Age 65+
33.6% ±19.7 Highest IL: 17% 32.4% ±27.7 Lowest IL: 17%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
11.6% Highest IL: 37.8% 6.3% Lowest IL: 37.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
0.8% ±10.5 Highest IL: 6.3% 0% ±17.5 Lowest IL: 6.3%
Household incomemedian
$39,250 ±$9k Lowest 53% below IL $43,125 ±$15k Highest 48% below IL
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$86,300 ±$43k Highest 67% below IL $77,900 ±$12k Lowest 70% below IL
Property taxmedian, yearly
$1,300 Highest 75% below IL $986 Lowest 81% below IL
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
40% ±100 Highest IL: 47.9% 0% ±100 Lowest IL: 47.9%
Below poverty line
21.6% Lowest IL: 11.8% 31.4% Highest IL: 11.8%
Homeownersof occupied homes
89.5% Lowest IL: 67.1% 95.6% Highest IL: 67.1%
Typical home builtmedian year
1943 Lowest 28 yrs older than IL 1949 Highest 22 yrs older than IL
Average commuteone way
23 min Lowest 19% below IL 25 min Highest 10% below IL
Work from home
3.3% ±6.4 Highest IL: 15.9% 0% ±43.3 Lowest IL: 15.9%
Work in townworking residents
0% 0%
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line
15.3 mi Lowest 24.3 mi Highest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub
0.13 Lowest 0.41 Highest
Top workplaceoutside town
Dixon (21%) Macomb (9%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others
Few work in Ferris Few work in Nelson
Conserved landshare of the town
0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles
0.0 mi Lowest 1.7 mi Highest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi
0.0 mi Lowest 0.9 mi Highest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map
0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure
22.2 Highest 14.3 Lowest
“±” Census margin of error ACS 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.
Nelson or Ferris: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Nelson? → Moving to Nelson: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Nelson’s Town Square.
Ferris or Nelson: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Ferris? → Moving to Ferris: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Ferris’s Town Square.
Add a town Set another town beside Nelson and Ferris One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.
Towns like Nelson 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.
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