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Buying a home in Clay City, Illinois

The typical owner-occupied home in Clay City is worth about $83,200, 68% below the Illinois median of $263,300 and 75% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,181 a year in property taxes, about 1.42% of their home's value, lower than the Illinois rate of 2.01%. The median household earns $53,472 a year, so the median home costs 1.6 times the median income (3.2 times for Illinois). 75% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 44% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Clay City at a glance

Clay City Illinois U.S.
Median home value $83,200 $263,300 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $1,181 $5,298 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 1.42% 2.01% 0.94%
Median household income $53,472 $83,390 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 75% 67% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 44% 61% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $972 $1,987 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 14.4% 20.6% 21.0%
Median rent $610 $1,274 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 51.0% 29.1% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1969 1971 1980
Vacant homes 24.9% 7.7% 10.1%
Population 723 12,694,798 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Clay City

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Clay City home of $83,200 with 20% down costs about $581 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $719, 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 $24,894 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 13% of the median Clay City household income of $53,472; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $179,000.

The median rent here is $610 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$16,640
Loan amount$66,560
Principal and interest$448
Property taxes (1.42% a year)$98
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$35
PMI$0
Total per month$581

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$2,912
Loan amount$81,693
Principal and interest$550
Property taxes (1.42% a year)$98
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$35
FHA mortgage insurance$37
Total per month$719

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Questions about home buying in Clay City

What is the median home value in Clay City?

About $83,200 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Clay City?

Homeowners pay a median $1,181 a year, which is about 1.42% 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 Clay City?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $581 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $24,894 a year.

More about Clay City

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