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Buying a home in Marengo, Illinois

The typical owner-occupied home in Marengo is worth about $229,900, 13% below the Illinois median of $263,300 and 31% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $5,234 a year in property taxes, about 2.28% of their home's value, higher than the Illinois rate of 2.01%. The median household earns $73,523 a year, so the median home costs 3.1 times the median income (3.2 times for Illinois). 63% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 58% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Marengo at a glance

Marengo Illinois U.S.
Median home value $229,900 $263,300 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $5,234 $5,298 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 2.28% 2.01% 0.94%
Median household income $73,523 $83,390 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 63% 67% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 58% 61% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,648 $1,987 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 17.7% 20.6% 21.0%
Median rent $1,176 $1,274 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 40.1% 29.1% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1974 1971 1980
Vacant homes 2.5% 7.7% 10.1%
Population 7,040 12,694,798 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Marengo

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Marengo home of $229,900 with 20% down costs about $1,770 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $2,153, 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 $75,850 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 29% of the median Marengo household income of $73,523; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $223,000.

The median rent here is $1,176 a month, so owning the median home costs about $594 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$45,980
Loan amount$183,920
Principal and interest$1,237
Property taxes (2.28% a year)$437
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$96
PMI$0
Total per month$1,770

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$8,046
Loan amount$225,736
Principal and interest$1,519
Property taxes (2.28% a year)$437
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$96
FHA mortgage insurance$102
Total per month$2,153

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Questions about home buying in Marengo

What is the median home value in Marengo?

About $229,900 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Marengo?

Homeowners pay a median $5,234 a year, which is about 2.28% 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 Marengo?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $1,770 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $75,850 a year.

More about Marengo

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