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Buying a home in Prairie City, Illinois

The typical owner-occupied home in Prairie City is worth about $91,500, 65% below the Illinois median of $263,300 and 72% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $855 a year in property taxes, about 0.93% of their home's value, lower than the Illinois rate of 2.01%. The median household earns $60,694 a year, so the median home costs 1.5 times the median income (3.2 times for Illinois). 86% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 56% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Prairie City at a glance

Prairie City Illinois U.S.
Median home value $91,500 $263,300 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $855 $5,298 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.93% 2.01% 0.94%
Median household income $60,694 $83,390 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 86% 67% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 56% 61% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,018 $1,987 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 18.7% 20.6% 21.0%
Median rent $717 $1,274 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 26.3% 29.1% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1958 1971 1980
Vacant homes 8.2% 7.7% 10.1%
Population 378 12,694,798 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Prairie City

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Prairie City home of $91,500 with 20% down costs about $601 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $754, 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 $25,777 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 12% of the median Prairie City household income of $60,694; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $215,000.

The median rent here is $717 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$18,300
Loan amount$73,200
Principal and interest$492
Property taxes (0.93% a year)$71
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$38
PMI$0
Total per month$601

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$3,202
Loan amount$89,843
Principal and interest$604
Property taxes (0.93% a year)$71
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$38
FHA mortgage insurance$40
Total per month$754

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Questions about home buying in Prairie City

What is the median home value in Prairie City?

About $91,500 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Prairie City?

Homeowners pay a median $855 a year, which is about 0.93% 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 Prairie City?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $601 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $25,777 a year.

More about Prairie City

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