Housing decision brief
Hardin County, IL Housing Market
Hardin 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.
5th lowest home value out of 102 Illinois counties with data | 1st lowest rent out of 102
Median home value
$91,700
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$342/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$568/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
1.6x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
20.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$226/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
2 notes
Home-value estimate has a $31,269 ACS margin of error.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$91,700 median home value is 27% below Illinois county median
Lower rent
$342/mo is 57% below Illinois county median
Rent burden below pressure line
20.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 91.7 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$57,155 median income is 12% 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.
Wide home-value margin
The ACS margin of error on home value is $31,269, so exact rankings should be read as directional.
Best Fit For
- Buyers comparing homes to local incomes
- Renters trying to keep rent below the burden threshold
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
- 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
- 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 Hardin 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. | $91,700 | $126,000 | $281,900 | 27% favorable27% below Illinois county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $342 | $793 | $1,163 | 57% favorable57% below Illinois county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $568 | $853 | $1,672 | 33% favorable33% below Illinois county median |
Median household income | $57,155 | $65,189 | $74,755 | 12% pressure12% below Illinois county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.18% | 2.00% | 1.02% | 41% favorable41% below Illinois county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 20.00% | 26.00% | N/A | 23% favorable20.00% 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
+$43,475
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$32,812
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Hardin County offers affordable rental housing at a median of $342/month , about 7.2% of the typical household income here.
Rent vs own
At $342/month rent versus $568/month in owner costs, renting is roughly $226/month cheaper , a 40% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $13,680/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $24,343/year. With a median household income of $57,155, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 20.0% of renter households in Hardin County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Illinois, Hardin County is less affordable than Pope County by roughly 22% ($342/mo vs $438/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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gallatin County, IL | $84,700 | $500/mo | Same-state comparison near $84,700 home value and $500/mo rent. |
| Worth County, MO | $94,600 | $353/mo | Out-of-state peer near $94,600 home value and $353/mo rent. |
| Rolette County, ND | $93,000 | $479/mo | Out-of-state peer near $93,000 home value and $479/mo rent. |
| Schuyler County, MO | $118,200 | $382/mo | Out-of-state peer near $118,200 home value and $382/mo rent. |
| Hamilton County, IL | $108,800 | $566/mo | Same-state comparison near $108,800 home value and $566/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Home-value estimate has a $31,269 ACS margin of error.
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Hardin County
Is Hardin County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Hardin County?
How much income do you need for housing in Hardin County?
What should I double-check before moving to Hardin County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.