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Buying a home in Mount Vernon, Illinois

The typical owner-occupied home in Mount Vernon is worth about $99,800, 62% below the Illinois median of $263,300 and 70% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $2,271 a year in property taxes, about 2.28% of their home's value, higher than the Illinois rate of 2.01%. The median household earns $55,357 a year, so the median home costs 1.8 times the median income (3.2 times for Illinois). 53% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 51% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Mount Vernon at a glance

Mount Vernon Illinois U.S.
Median home value $99,800 $263,300 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $2,271 $5,298 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 2.28% 2.01% 0.94%
Median household income $55,357 $83,390 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 53% 67% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 51% 61% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,150 $1,987 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 19.0% 20.6% 21.0%
Median rent $910 $1,274 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 27.7% 29.1% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1968 1971 1980
Vacant homes 14.3% 7.7% 10.1%
Population 14,090 12,694,798 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Mount Vernon

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Mount Vernon home of $99,800 with 20% down costs about $768 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $935, 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 $32,927 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 17% of the median Mount Vernon household income of $55,357; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $168,000.

The median rent here is $910 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$19,960
Loan amount$79,840
Principal and interest$537
Property taxes (2.28% a year)$190
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$42
PMI$0
Total per month$768

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$3,493
Loan amount$97,992
Principal and interest$659
Property taxes (2.28% a year)$190
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$42
FHA mortgage insurance$44
Total per month$935

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Questions about home buying in Mount Vernon

What is the median home value in Mount Vernon?

About $99,800 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Mount Vernon?

Homeowners pay a median $2,271 a year, which is about 2.28% 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 Vernon?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $768 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $32,927 a year.

More about Mount Vernon

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