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Compare towns

Oblong vs Lacon

160 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (2.2× in Lacon) and average commute (17 min in Oblong).

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Oblong, ILHomes around $124KIllinois · 1,634 people
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Lacon, ILHomes around $143KIllinois · 1,916 people
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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.

OblongHomes around $124K
Housing$124K typical home58% below the IL typical home Health65% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Oblong →
LaconHomes around $143K
Housing$143K typical home52% below the IL typical home All about Lacon →
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.

Property tax bill2.2×
Tax bills are bigger in Lacon
Lacon $2,481Oblong $1,114
Average commute17 min
Oblong has the shorter commute
Lacon 33 minOblong 17 min
Home values+47%
Homes cost more in Lacon
Lacon $121,900Oblong $83,100
Work from home+7.5 pts
More people work from home in Lacon
Lacon 7.9%Oblong 0.4%
Street grid+51%
Oblong has the more walkable street grid
Oblong 120Lacon 79.6
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $200 more a month in Lacon

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.

Oblong$790/mo
Typical home $124K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.34% · or rent about $542/mo · Housing →
Lacon$990/mo
Typical home $143K (Zillow) · tax rate 2.04% · or rent about $817/mo · Housing →

The difference: $200 a month, about $2,400 a year, between Lacon and Oblong.

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

Grades and rankings, side by side

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.

Health
COblongHealthier than 35% of U.S. towns B−LaconHealthier than 48% of U.S. towns
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
OblongLacon
Snow a year14″25″
January low—18°F
July high—87°F
Growing season (days)—178d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)66th52nd
Outdoors & history
OblongLacon
Trails0 mi0 mi
Conserved land0%5.6%
Settled1883—
Community
OblongLacon
Library hours a week27 hrs22 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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

160 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

OblongILLaconIL
Oblong ↔ Lacon160 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.

OblongLacon
People
Population 1,634Lowest 1,916Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -6.5%Lowest -3%Highest
Median age 38.7±9.4Lowest about the IL average 38.8±4.7Highest about the IL average
Lacon and Oblong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 21.2%±5.9Lowest IL: 21.8% 22.8%±3.4Highest IL: 21.8%
Lacon and Oblong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 22.2%±3.1Highest IL: 17% 21.2%±3.7Lowest IL: 17%
Oblong and Lacon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 11.3%Highest IL: 37.8% 9.7%Lowest IL: 37.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3%±1.8Highest IL: 6.3% 2.3%±1.5Lowest IL: 6.3%
Oblong and Lacon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $57,917±$5kLowest 31% below IL $63,162±$6kHighest 24% below IL
Lacon and Oblong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $83,100±$9kLowest 68% below IL $121,900±$14kHighest 54% below IL
Rentmedian gross, monthly $542±$128Lowest 57% below IL $817±$156Highest 36% below IL
Lacon and Oblong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,114Lowest 79% below IL $2,481Highest 53% below IL
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 29.6%±21.9Lowest IL: 47.9% 53.1%±17.7Highest IL: 47.9%
Lacon and Oblong are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 13.9%Lowest IL: 11.8% 14.8%Highest IL: 11.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 71.8%Highest IL: 67.1% 71.7%Lowest IL: 67.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1963Highest 8 yrs older than IL 1959Lowest 12 yrs older than IL
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 17 minLowest 41% below IL 33 minHighest 19% above IL
Work from home 0.4%±0.7Lowest IL: 15.9% 7.9%±4.2Highest IL: 15.9%
Work in townworking residents 13.1%Highest 11.9%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.8 miLowest 24.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.69Highest 0.52Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Robinson (31%)Peoria (16%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in LaconFew work in Oblong
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 5.6%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.3 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.2 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 3Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 120Highest 79.6Lowest
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.

Oblong neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Oblong’s Town Square.

Lacon neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Lacon’s Town Square.

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Towns like Oblong

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Grayville1,590 people · $74K 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.

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