Housing decision brief
Greene County, IL Housing Market
Greene County screens as a below-state purchase price, rent that needs comparison, a manageable tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
9th lowest home value out of 102 Illinois counties with data | 57th lowest rent out of 102
Median home value
$94,400
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$800/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$709/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
1.5x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
22.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$91/mo
Median owner cost screens below median rent.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$94,400 median home value is 25% below Illinois county median
Rent burden below pressure line
22.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $91/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 87.1 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$60,976 median income is 6% below Illinois county median
Water quality cross-check
Water quality grade is F. Review water data before treating housing cost as the full story.
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Best Fit For
- Buyers comparing homes to local incomes
- Renters trying to keep rent below the burden threshold
- Households weighing ownership against renting
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Buyers focused only on purchase price and ignoring annual property tax
- Buyers who will not investigate local water systems before moving
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Greene County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $94,400 | $126,000 | $281,900 | 25% favorable25% below Illinois county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $800 | $793 | $1,163 | Near state median1% above Illinois county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $709 | $853 | $1,672 | 17% favorable17% below Illinois county median |
Median household income | $60,976 | $65,189 | $74,755 | 6% pressure6% below Illinois county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.66% | 2.00% | 1.02% | 17% favorable17% below Illinois county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 22.00% | 26.00% | N/A | 15% favorable22.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$28,976
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$30,590
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
For renters in Greene County, the market is affordable. Expect to pay around $800/month in gross rent, with 22.0% of renter households considered cost-burdened.
Rent vs own
At $800/month rent versus $709/month in owner costs, owning is roughly $91/month cheaper , a 11% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $32,000/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $30,386/year. With a median household income of $60,976, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 22.0% of renter households in Greene County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Illinois, Greene County is less affordable than Lee County by roughly 6% ($800/mo vs $853/mo).
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marion County, IL | $100,100 | $771/mo | Same-state comparison near $100,100 home value and $771/mo rent. |
| Edwards County, IL | $97,500 | $746/mo | Same-state comparison near $97,500 home value and $746/mo rent. |
| Vermilion County, IL | $92,900 | $802/mo | Same-state comparison near $92,900 home value and $802/mo rent. |
| Fulton County, IL | $102,500 | $808/mo | Same-state comparison near $102,500 home value and $808/mo rent. |
| Edgar County, IL | $95,700 | $757/mo | Same-state comparison near $95,700 home value and $757/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Greene County
Is Greene County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Greene County?
How much income do you need for housing in Greene County?
What should I double-check before moving to Greene County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.