Housing decision brief
Menard County, IL Housing Market
Menard County screens as a higher 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.
83rd lowest home value out of 102 Illinois counties with data | 48th lowest rent out of 102
Median home value
$179,300
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$780/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$1,053/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
2.2x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
30.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$273/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
2 notes
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower rent
$780/mo is 2% below Illinois county median
What to Check
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
Poor Fit For
- 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 Menard 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. | $179,300 | $126,000 | $281,900 | 42% pressure42% above Illinois county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $780 | $793 | $1,163 | Near state median2% below Illinois county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,053 | $853 | $1,672 | 23% pressure23% above Illinois county median |
Median household income | $81,334 | $65,189 | $74,755 | 25% favorable25% above Illinois county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.64% | 2.00% | 1.02% | 18% favorable18% 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
+$50,134
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$36,205
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 Menard County, the market is affordable. Expect to pay around $780/month in gross rent, with 30.0% of renter households considered cost-burdened.
Rent vs own
Renters in Menard County pay $780/month on average, compared to $1,053/month for homeowners. This market favors renters by about 26%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $31,200/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $45,129/year. With a median household income of $81,334, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 30.0% of renter households in Menard County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Menard County sits 7% more expensive than Christian County ($729/month) in terms of median gross rent.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jersey County, IL | $168,800 | $794/mo | Same-state comparison near $168,800 home value and $794/mo rent. |
| Effingham County, IL | $179,800 | $734/mo | Same-state comparison near $179,800 home value and $734/mo rent. |
| Putnam County, IL | $167,800 | $804/mo | Same-state comparison near $167,800 home value and $804/mo rent. |
| Jo Daviess County, IL | $193,900 | $795/mo | Same-state comparison near $193,900 home value and $795/mo rent. |
| Ogle County, IL | $184,100 | $901/mo | Same-state comparison near $184,100 home value and $901/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 Menard County
Is Menard County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Menard County?
How much income do you need for housing in Menard County?
What should I double-check before moving to Menard County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.