Housing decision brief
Jackson County, IL Housing Market
Jackson 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.
48th lowest home value out of 102 Illinois counties with data | 29th lowest rent out of 102
Median home value
$125,000
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$746/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$840/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
2.7x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
30.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$94/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$125,000 median home value is 1% below Illinois county median
Lower rent
$746/mo is 6% below Illinois county median
What to Check
Lower income base
$45,572 median income is 30% 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
- 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 Jackson 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. | $125,000 | $126,000 | $281,900 | Near state median1% below Illinois county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $746 | $793 | $1,163 | 6% favorable6% below Illinois county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $840 | $853 | $1,672 | Near state median2% below Illinois county median |
Median household income | $45,572 | $65,189 | $74,755 | 30% pressure30% below Illinois county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.91% | 2.00% | 1.02% | 5% favorable5% below Illinois county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 30.00% | 26.00% | N/A | 15% pressure30.00% 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
+$15,732
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$9,572
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 Jackson County, the market is affordable. Expect to pay around $746/month in gross rent, with 30.0% of renter households considered cost-burdened.
Rent vs own
At $746/month rent versus $840/month in owner costs, renting is roughly $94/month cheaper , a 11% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $29,840/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $36,000/year. With a median household income of $45,572, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 30.0% of renter households in Jackson County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Compared to Macon County where rent averages $797/month, Jackson County is approximately 6% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coles County, IL | $121,900 | $793/mo | Same-state comparison near $121,900 home value and $793/mo rent. |
| McDonough County, IL | $103,500 | $730/mo | Same-state comparison near $103,500 home value and $730/mo rent. |
| Fayette County, IL | $114,700 | $740/mo | Same-state comparison near $114,700 home value and $740/mo rent. |
| Stephenson County, IL | $127,500 | $764/mo | Same-state comparison near $127,500 home value and $764/mo rent. |
| Knox County, IL | $104,900 | $725/mo | Same-state comparison near $104,900 home value and $725/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Jackson County
Is Jackson County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Jackson County?
How much income do you need for housing in Jackson County?
What should I double-check before moving to Jackson County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.