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Buying a home in Brighton, Illinois

The typical owner-occupied home in Brighton is worth about $145,000, 45% below the Illinois median of $263,300 and 56% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $2,652 a year in property taxes, about 1.83% of their home's value, lower than the Illinois rate of 2.01%. The median household earns $80,214 a year, so the median home costs 1.8 times the median income (3.2 times for Illinois). 83% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 65% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Brighton at a glance

Brighton Illinois U.S.
Median home value $145,000 $263,300 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $2,652 $5,298 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 1.83% 2.01% 0.94%
Median household income $80,214 $83,390 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 83% 67% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 65% 61% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,458 $1,987 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 16.4% 20.6% 21.0%
Median rent $815 $1,274 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 51.0% 29.1% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1974 1971 1980
Vacant homes 14.5% 7.7% 10.1%
Population 2,306 12,694,798 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Brighton

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Brighton home of $145,000 with 20% down costs about $1,062 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $1,303, 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 $45,509 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 16% of the median Brighton household income of $80,214; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $256,000.

The median rent here is $815 a month, so owning the median home costs about $247 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$29,000
Loan amount$116,000
Principal and interest$780
Property taxes (1.83% a year)$221
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$60
PMI$0
Total per month$1,062

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$5,075
Loan amount$142,374
Principal and interest$958
Property taxes (1.83% a year)$221
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$60
FHA mortgage insurance$64
Total per month$1,303

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Questions about home buying in Brighton

What is the median home value in Brighton?

About $145,000 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Brighton?

Homeowners pay a median $2,652 a year, which is about 1.83% 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 Brighton?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $1,062 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $45,509 a year.

More about Brighton

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