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Buying a home in Crystal Lake, Illinois

The typical owner-occupied home in Crystal Lake is worth about $311,400, 18% above the Illinois median of $263,300 and 6% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $7,720 a year in property taxes, about 2.48% of their home's value, higher than the Illinois rate of 2.01%. The median household earns $108,418 a year, so the median home costs 2.9 times the median income (3.2 times for Illinois). 78% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 68% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Crystal Lake at a glance

Crystal Lake Illinois U.S.
Median home value $311,400 $263,300 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $7,720 $5,298 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 2.48% 2.01% 0.94%
Median household income $108,418 $83,390 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 78% 67% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 68% 61% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $2,239 $1,987 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 20.8% 20.6% 21.0%
Median rent $1,468 $1,274 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 30.6% 29.1% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1986 1971 1980
Vacant homes 2.9% 7.7% 10.1%
Population 40,579 12,694,798 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Crystal Lake

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Crystal Lake home of $311,400 with 20% down costs about $2,449 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $2,968, 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 $104,964 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 27% of the median Crystal Lake household income of $108,418; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $322,000.

The median rent here is $1,468 a month, so owning the median home costs about $981 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$62,280
Loan amount$249,120
Principal and interest$1,676
Property taxes (2.48% a year)$644
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$130
PMI$0
Total per month$2,449

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$10,899
Loan amount$305,760
Principal and interest$2,057
Property taxes (2.48% a year)$644
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$130
FHA mortgage insurance$138
Total per month$2,968

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Questions about home buying in Crystal Lake

What is the median home value in Crystal Lake?

About $311,400 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Crystal Lake?

Homeowners pay a median $7,720 a year, which is about 2.48% 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 Crystal Lake?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $2,449 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $104,964 a year.

More about Crystal Lake

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