Housing decision brief
Hamilton County, IL Housing Market
Hamilton County screens as a below-state purchase price, below-state rent, 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.
31st lowest home value out of 102 Illinois counties with data | 6th lowest rent out of 102
Median home value
$108,800
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$566/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$661/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
1.8x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
19.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$95/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
2 notes
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$108,800 median home value is 14% below Illinois county median
Lower rent
$566/mo is 29% below Illinois county median
Rent burden below pressure line
19.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
What to Check
Lower income base
$61,520 median income is 6% below Illinois county median
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
- Remote earners or cash buyers looking below the state price line
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Buyers focused only on purchase price and ignoring annual property tax
- 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 Hamilton 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. | $108,800 | $126,000 | $281,900 | 14% favorable14% below Illinois county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $566 | $793 | $1,163 | 29% favorable29% below Illinois county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $661 | $853 | $1,672 | 23% favorable23% below Illinois county median |
Median household income | $61,520 | $65,189 | $74,755 | 6% pressure6% below Illinois county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.35% | 2.00% | 1.02% | 32% favorable32% below Illinois county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 19.00% | 26.00% | N/A | 27% favorable19.00% 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
+$38,880
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$33,191
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Hamilton County offers affordable rental housing at a median of $566/month , about 11.0% of the typical household income here.
Rent vs own
The median rent in Hamilton County is $566/month, while owner costs run $661/month. Renting saves approximately $95/month.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $22,640/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $28,329/year. With a median household income of $61,520, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 19.0% of renter households in Hamilton County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Compared to Pulaski County where rent averages $625/month, Hamilton County is approximately 9% less expensive.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County, IL | $109,400 | $632/mo | Same-state comparison near $109,400 home value and $632/mo rent. |
| Pike County, IL | $100,100 | $659/mo | Same-state comparison near $100,100 home value and $659/mo rent. |
| Montgomery County, IL | $102,200 | $715/mo | Same-state comparison near $102,200 home value and $715/mo rent. |
| Perry County, IL | $105,200 | $714/mo | Same-state comparison near $105,200 home value and $714/mo rent. |
| Christian County, IL | $112,100 | $729/mo | Same-state comparison near $112,100 home value and $729/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
- Water-quality monitoring is based on 2 active sites in recent WQP data.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Hamilton County
Is Hamilton County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Hamilton County?
How much income do you need for housing in Hamilton County?
What should I double-check before moving to Hamilton County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.