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%

Waggoner$1,130/mo

Typical home $163K (Zillow) · tax rate 2.08% · or rent about $650/mo · Housing →

Williamson$480/mo

Typical home $76K (Census) · tax rate 1.24% · or rent about $863/mo · Housing →

The difference: $660 a month, about $7,900 a year, between Waggoner and Williamson.

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

WaggonerWilliamson

Snow a year16″14″

January low19°F —

July high86°F —

Growing season (days)190d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)53rd 69th

Community

WaggonerWilliamson

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

28 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

WaggonerWilliamson

Waggoner ↔ Williamson28 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

WaggonerWilliamson

People

Population 169Highest 160Lowest

Median age 48.1±1.3Lowest 23% above IL 51±11.3Highest 31% above IL

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

Kids under 18 16%±11.7Highest IL: 21.8% 13.8%±13.9Lowest IL: 21.8%

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

Age 65+ 8.3%±19.7Lowest IL: 17% 25%±17.1Highest IL: 17%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 0.8%Lowest IL: 37.8% 5.6%Highest IL: 37.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±10.9Lowest IL: 6.3% 3.1%±8.9Highest IL: 6.3%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $70,417±$27kHighest 16% below IL $57,841±$20kLowest 31% below IL

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $37,500±$27kLowest 86% below IL $75,800±$38kHighest 71% below IL

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $650±$523Lowest 49% below IL $863±$316Highest 32% below IL

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $780Lowest 85% below IL $940Highest 82% below IL

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 12.5%±100Lowest IL: 47.9% 23.8%±90Highest IL: 47.9%

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

Below poverty line 18.9%Lowest IL: 11.8% 19.6%Highest IL: 11.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 61.5%Lowest IL: 67.1% 67.9%Highest IL: 67.1%

Typical home builtmedian year 1975Highest 4 yrs newer than IL 1945Lowest 26 yrs older than IL

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 32 minHighest 13% above IL 31 minLowest 10% above IL

Work from home 2%±2.8Lowest IL: 15.9% 6%±6.7Highest IL: 15.9%

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

Work in townworking residents 0% 0%

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 17.8 miLowest 21.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.03 0.03

Top workplaceoutside town Raymond (11%)Highland (8%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in WilliamsonFew work in Waggoner

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 0 0

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 121Highest 14.0Lowest

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.

Waggoner neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Waggoner’s Town Square.

Williamson neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Williamson’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Waggoner and Williamson

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

Towns like Waggoner

+ Compare

New Grand Chain151 people · $63K homes

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Ripley87 people · $43K homes

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East Carondelet233 people · $59K homes

+ Compare

Gulfport92 people

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.

Waggoner vs Williamson

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $660 more a month in Waggoner

What daily life feels like in each

28 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Waggoner and Williamson

Towns like Waggoner

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