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%

Potomac$940/mo

Typical home $141K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.73% · or rent about $780/mo · Housing →

Ashmore$1,000/mo

Typical home $148K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.82% · or rent about $841/mo · Housing →

The difference: $60 a month, about $700 a year, between Ashmore and Potomac.

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

PotomacAshmore

Snow a year20″19″

January low18°F 21°F

July high85°F 88°F

Growing season (days)180d 187d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)59th 71st

Outdoors & history

PotomacAshmore

Trails0 mi —

Conserved land0%—

Settled1840 —

Community

PotomacAshmore

Library hours a week49 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

55 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

PotomacIL AshmoreIL

Potomac ↔ Ashmore55 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

PotomacAshmore

People

Population 605Lowest 721Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -8.1%Highest -18.9%Lowest

Median age 40.1±6.3Highest about the IL average 37.9±8.9Lowest about the IL average

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

Kids under 18 27.3%±10Highest IL: 21.8% 23.3%±7.7Lowest IL: 21.8%

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

Age 65+ 17.7%±3.6Highest IL: 17% 16.6%±7Lowest IL: 17%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 12.5%Lowest IL: 37.8% 14.4%Highest IL: 37.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3%±3.1Lowest IL: 6.3% 6.2%±5.3Highest IL: 6.3%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $53,194±$6kLowest 36% below IL $56,615±$9kHighest 32% below IL

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $95,500±$9kHighest 64% below IL $91,700±$13kLowest 65% below IL

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $780±$24Lowest 39% below IL $841±$137Highest 34% below IL

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,650Lowest 69% below IL $1,668Highest 69% below IL

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 22.4%±37.5Lowest IL: 47.9% 37.3%±38.4Highest IL: 47.9%

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

Below poverty line 7.7%Lowest IL: 11.8% 16.2%Highest IL: 11.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 76%Lowest IL: 67.1% 78.5%Highest IL: 67.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 1959Lowest 12 yrs older than IL 1970Highest 1 yr older than IL

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 29 minHighest 4% above IL 25 minLowest 11% below IL

Work from home 2.8%±2.7Lowest IL: 15.9% 6.4%±4.1Highest IL: 15.9%

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

Work in townworking residents 0%Lowest 1.3%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 25.8 miHighest 18.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.10Lowest 0.13Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Danville (21%)Charleston (23%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in AshmoreFew work in Potomac

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 1Highest 0Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 78.6Highest 68.8Lowest

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.

Potomac neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Potomac’s Town Square.

Ashmore neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ashmore’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Potomac

+ Compare

Vergennes Township770 people · $113K homes

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Evansville781 people · $88K homes

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Lomax Township740 people · $85K homes

+ Compare

Goose Creek Township745 people · $95K 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.

Potomac vs Ashmore

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

55 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Potomac and Ashmore

Towns like Potomac

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