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Buying a home in Cairo, Illinois

The typical owner-occupied home in Cairo is worth about $32,000, 88% below the Illinois median of $263,300 and 90% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $892 a year in property taxes, about 2.79% of their home's value, higher than the Illinois rate of 2.01%. The median household earns $41,912 a year, so the median home costs 0.8 times the median income (3.2 times for Illinois). 65% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 30% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Cairo at a glance

Cairo Illinois U.S.
Median home value $32,000 $263,300 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $892 $5,298 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 2.79% 2.01% 0.94%
Median household income $41,912 $83,390 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 65% 67% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 30% 61% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,222 $1,987 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 23.8% 20.6% 21.0%
Median rent $515 $1,274 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 18.2% 29.1% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1953 1971 1980
Vacant homes 44.6% 7.7% 10.1%
Population 1,682 12,694,798 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Cairo

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Cairo home of $32,000 with 20% down costs about $260 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $313, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $11,140 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 7% of the median Cairo household income of $41,912; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $120,000.

The median rent here is $515 a month, a little more than the monthly cost of owning the median home with 20% down.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$6,400
Loan amount$25,600
Principal and interest$172
Property taxes (2.79% a year)$74
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$13
PMI$0
Total per month$260

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$1,120
Loan amount$31,420
Principal and interest$211
Property taxes (2.79% a year)$74
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$13
FHA mortgage insurance$14
Total per month$313

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Questions about home buying in Cairo

What is the median home value in Cairo?

About $32,000 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Cairo?

Homeowners pay a median $892 a year, which is about 2.79% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in Cairo?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $260 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $11,140 a year.

More about Cairo

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data