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Buying a home in Fairbury, Illinois

The typical owner-occupied home in Fairbury is worth about $162,200, 38% below the Illinois median of $263,300 and 51% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $3,253 a year in property taxes, about 2.01% of their home's value, close to the Illinois rate of 2.01%. The median household earns $70,962 a year, so the median home costs 2.3 times the median income (3.2 times for Illinois). 68% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 62% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Fairbury at a glance

Fairbury Illinois U.S.
Median home value $162,200 $263,300 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $3,253 $5,298 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 2.01% 2.01% 0.94%
Median household income $70,962 $83,390 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 68% 67% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 62% 61% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,261 $1,987 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 19.0% 20.6% 21.0%
Median rent $776 $1,274 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 23.5% 29.1% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1965 1971 1980
Vacant homes 7.0% 7.7% 10.1%
Population 3,713 12,694,798 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Fairbury

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Fairbury home of $162,200 with 20% down costs about $1,212 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $1,482, 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 $51,950 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 20% of the median Fairbury household income of $70,962; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $222,000.

The median rent here is $776 a month, so owning the median home costs about $436 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$32,440
Loan amount$129,760
Principal and interest$873
Property taxes (2.01% a year)$272
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$68
PMI$0
Total per month$1,212

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$5,677
Loan amount$159,262
Principal and interest$1,071
Property taxes (2.01% a year)$272
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$68
FHA mortgage insurance$72
Total per month$1,482

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Questions about home buying in Fairbury

What is the median home value in Fairbury?

About $162,200 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Fairbury?

Homeowners pay a median $3,253 a year, which is about 2.01% 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 Fairbury?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $1,212 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $51,950 a year.

More about Fairbury

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