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%

Niantic$990/mo

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

Hoffman$930/mo

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

NianticHoffman

Snow a year19″7″

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

Outdoors & history

NianticHoffman

Trails0 mi 0 mi

Conserved land0%0%

Archive photos6 —

Famous people born here1 —

Community

NianticHoffman

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.

NianticIL HoffmanIL

Niantic ↔ Hoffman91 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

NianticHoffman

People

Population 671Highest 607Lowest

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

Median age 33.8±6.6Highest 13% below IL 33.5±11.9Lowest 14% 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 32.2%±9.4Highest IL: 21.8% 30%±13.1Lowest 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+ 12.5%±2.9Lowest IL: 17% 14.8%±2.4Highest 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+ 8.4%Lowest IL: 37.8% 11.9%Highest IL: 37.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.1%±3.3Lowest IL: 6.3% 3.5%±1.7Highest 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 $67,155±$9kHighest 19% below IL $66,667±$16kLowest 20% 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 $114,800±$11kHighest 56% below IL $106,700±$19kLowest 59% 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 $1,066±$364Highest 16% below IL $675±$95Lowest 47% 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 $2,430Highest 54% below IL $1,959Lowest 63% below IL

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 68%±91Highest IL: 47.9% 5.6%±100Lowest 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 7.7%Highest IL: 11.8% 5.6%Lowest IL: 11.8%

Housing

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

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

Getting to work

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

Work from home 4.9%±3.2Highest IL: 15.9% 1.3%±1.7Lowest 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 1.8%Highest 0%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 13.3 miLowest 22.8 miHighest

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

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

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in HoffmanFew work in Niantic

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 0.3 miHighest 0.2 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miLowest 0.4 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1 1

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

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.

Niantic neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Niantic’s Town Square.

Hoffman neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Hoffman’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Niantic and Hoffman

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Towns like Niantic

+ Compare

Owaneco613 people · $102K homes

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Eastern Township600 people · $132K homes

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Reynolds584 people · $151K homes

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Stanford514 people · $115K 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.

Niantic vs Hoffman

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 Niantic and Hoffman

Towns like Niantic

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