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Buying a home in Mount Sterling, Illinois

The typical owner-occupied home in Mount Sterling is worth about $131,200, 50% below the Illinois median of $263,300 and 61% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $2,271 a year in property taxes, about 1.73% of their home's value, lower than the Illinois rate of 2.01%. The median household earns $59,087 a year, so the median home costs 2.2 times the median income (3.2 times for Illinois). 51% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 69% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Mount Sterling at a glance

Mount Sterling Illinois U.S.
Median home value $131,200 $263,300 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $2,271 $5,298 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 1.73% 2.01% 0.94%
Median household income $59,087 $83,390 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 51% 67% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 69% 61% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,103 $1,987 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 19.2% 20.6% 21.0%
Median rent $604 $1,274 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 25.4% 29.1% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1969 1971 1980
Vacant homes 7.7% 7.7% 10.1%
Population 1,980 12,694,798 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Mount Sterling

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Mount Sterling home of $131,200 with 20% down costs about $950 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $1,168, 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 $40,709 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 19% of the median Mount Sterling household income of $59,087; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $190,000.

The median rent here is $604 a month, so owning the median home costs about $346 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$26,240
Loan amount$104,960
Principal and interest$706
Property taxes (1.73% a year)$189
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$55
PMI$0
Total per month$950

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$4,592
Loan amount$128,824
Principal and interest$867
Property taxes (1.73% a year)$189
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$55
FHA mortgage insurance$58
Total per month$1,168

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Questions about home buying in Mount Sterling

What is the median home value in Mount Sterling?

About $131,200 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Mount Sterling?

Homeowners pay a median $2,271 a year, which is about 1.73% 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 Mount Sterling?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $950 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $40,709 a year.

More about Mount Sterling

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