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Buying a home in Carbondale, Illinois

The typical owner-occupied home in Carbondale is worth about $127,900, 51% below the Illinois median of $263,300 and 62% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $3,166 a year in property taxes, about 2.48% of their home's value, higher than the Illinois rate of 2.01%. The median household earns $32,128 a year, so the median home costs 4.0 times the median income (3.2 times for Illinois). 26% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 44% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Carbondale at a glance

Carbondale Illinois U.S.
Median home value $127,900 $263,300 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $3,166 $5,298 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 2.48% 2.01% 0.94%
Median household income $32,128 $83,390 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 26% 67% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 44% 61% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,400 $1,987 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 21.3% 20.6% 21.0%
Median rent $771 $1,274 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 33.2% 29.1% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1976 1971 1980
Vacant homes 19.7% 7.7% 10.1%
Population 22,158 12,694,798 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Carbondale

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Carbondale home of $127,900 with 20% down costs about $1,006 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $1,219, 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 $43,111 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 38% of the median Carbondale household income of $32,128; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $95,000.

The median rent here is $771 a month, so owning the median home costs about $235 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$25,580
Loan amount$102,320
Principal and interest$688
Property taxes (2.48% a year)$264
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$53
PMI$0
Total per month$1,006

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$4,476
Loan amount$125,583
Principal and interest$845
Property taxes (2.48% a year)$264
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$53
FHA mortgage insurance$57
Total per month$1,219

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Questions about home buying in Carbondale

What is the median home value in Carbondale?

About $127,900 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Carbondale?

Homeowners pay a median $3,166 a year, which is about 2.48% 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 Carbondale?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $1,006 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $43,111 a year.

More about Carbondale

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