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Buying a home in East Alton, Illinois

The typical owner-occupied home in East Alton is worth about $106,700, 59% below the Illinois median of $263,300 and 68% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $2,323 a year in property taxes, about 2.18% of their home's value, higher than the Illinois rate of 2.01%. The median household earns $48,815 a year, so the median home costs 2.2 times the median income (3.2 times for Illinois). 57% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 54% of those owners still have a mortgage.

East Alton at a glance

East Alton Illinois U.S.
Median home value $106,700 $263,300 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $2,323 $5,298 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 2.18% 2.01% 0.94%
Median household income $48,815 $83,390 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 57% 67% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 54% 61% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,094 $1,987 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 14.3% 20.6% 21.0%
Median rent $881 $1,274 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 31.8% 29.1% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1956 1971 1980
Vacant homes 9.9% 7.7% 10.1%
Population 5,689 12,694,798 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in East Alton

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median East Alton home of $106,700 with 20% down costs about $813 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $990, 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 $34,822 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 20% of the median East Alton household income of $48,815; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $150,000.

The median rent here is $881 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$21,340
Loan amount$85,360
Principal and interest$574
Property taxes (2.18% a year)$194
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$44
PMI$0
Total per month$813

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$3,734
Loan amount$104,767
Principal and interest$705
Property taxes (2.18% a year)$194
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$44
FHA mortgage insurance$47
Total per month$990

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Questions about home buying in East Alton

What is the median home value in East Alton?

About $106,700 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in East Alton?

Homeowners pay a median $2,323 a year, which is about 2.18% 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 East Alton?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $813 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $34,822 a year.

More about East Alton

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