The typical owner-occupied home in Forest City is worth about $86,300, 67% below the Illinois median of $263,300 and 74% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,722 a year in property taxes, about 2.00% of their home's value, close to the Illinois rate of 2.01%. The median household earns $87,813 a year, so the median home costs 1.0 times the median income (3.2 times for Illinois). 68% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 34% of those owners still have a mortgage.
Forest City at a glance
| Forest City | Illinois | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $86,300 | $263,300 | $332,700 |
| Median property tax paid per year | $1,722 | $5,298 | $3,119 |
| Property tax as a share of value | 2.00% | 2.01% | 0.94% |
| Median household income | $87,813 | $83,390 | $80,734 |
| Homes lived in by their owners | 68% | 67% | 65% |
| Owner homes with a mortgage | 34% | 61% | 61% |
| Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage | $1,094 | $1,987 | $1,963 |
| Those costs as a share of the owners' income | 18.8% | 20.6% | 21.0% |
| Median rent | $937 | $1,274 | $1,413 |
| Rent as a share of renters' income | 12.9% | 29.1% | 30.6% |
| Median year homes were built | 1966 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Vacant homes | 10.0% | 7.7% | 10.1% |
| Population | 223 | 12,694,798 | 334,922,499 |
What a typical home costs per month in Forest City
At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Forest City home of $86,300 with 20% down costs about $644 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $788, 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 $27,610 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 9% of the median Forest City household income of $87,813; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $274,000.
The median rent here is $937 a month, a little more than the monthly cost of owning the median home with 20% down.
| Down payment | $17,260 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $69,040 |
| Principal and interest | $464 |
| Property taxes (2.00% a year) | $144 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $36 |
| PMI | $0 |
| Total per month | $644 |
Change the numbers in the calculator
| Down payment | $3,020 |
|---|---|
| Loan amount | $84,737 |
| Principal and interest | $570 |
| Property taxes (2.00% a year) | $144 |
| Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year) | $36 |
| FHA mortgage insurance | $38 |
| Total per month | $788 |
Change the numbers in the calculator
Questions about home buying in Forest City
What is the median home value in Forest City?
About $86,300 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.
How much are property taxes in Forest City?
Homeowners pay a median $1,722 a year, which is about 2.00% 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 Forest City?
For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $644 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $27,610 a year.
More about Forest City
- Mortgage Refinance in Forest City
- Debt Relief in Forest City
- Home Equity Loans in Forest City
- Guides and quotes for mortgage refinance on our sister site, MortgageRefinance.com
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