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Buying a home in Lerna, Illinois

The typical owner-occupied home in Lerna is worth about $94,400, 64% below the Illinois median of $263,300 and 72% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,339 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 $67,679 a year, so the median home costs 1.4 times the median income (3.2 times for Illinois). 77% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 54% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Lerna at a glance

Lerna Illinois U.S.
Median home value $94,400 $263,300 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $1,339 $5,298 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 1.42% 2.01% 0.94%
Median household income $67,679 $83,390 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 77% 67% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 54% 61% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $887 $1,987 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 17.0% 20.6% 21.0%
Median rent $850 $1,274 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 19.4% 29.1% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1957 1971 1980
Vacant homes 25.6% 7.7% 10.1%
Population 226 12,694,798 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Lerna

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Lerna home of $94,400 with 20% down costs about $659 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $816, 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 $28,246 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 12% of the median Lerna household income of $67,679; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $226,000.

The median rent here is $850 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$18,880
Loan amount$75,520
Principal and interest$508
Property taxes (1.42% a year)$112
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$39
PMI$0
Total per month$659

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$3,304
Loan amount$92,690
Principal and interest$624
Property taxes (1.42% a year)$112
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$39
FHA mortgage insurance$42
Total per month$816

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Questions about home buying in Lerna

What is the median home value in Lerna?

About $94,400 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Lerna?

Homeowners pay a median $1,339 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 Lerna?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $659 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $28,246 a year.

More about Lerna

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