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Buying a home in Creston, Illinois

The typical owner-occupied home in Creston is worth about $167,400, 36% below the Illinois median of $263,300 and 50% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $3,569 a year in property taxes, about 2.13% of their home's value, higher than the Illinois rate of 2.01%. The median household earns $66,667 a year, so the median home costs 2.5 times the median income (3.2 times for Illinois). 63% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 54% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Creston at a glance

Creston Illinois U.S.
Median home value $167,400 $263,300 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $3,569 $5,298 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 2.13% 2.01% 0.94%
Median household income $66,667 $83,390 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 63% 67% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 54% 61% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,241 $1,987 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 20.5% 20.6% 21.0%
Median rent $988 $1,274 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 23.3% 29.1% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1969 1971 1980
Vacant homes 14.8% 7.7% 10.1%
Population 550 12,694,798 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Creston

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Creston home of $167,400 with 20% down costs about $1,268 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $1,547, 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 $54,333 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 23% of the median Creston household income of $66,667; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $205,000.

The median rent here is $988 a month, so owning the median home costs about $280 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$33,480
Loan amount$133,920
Principal and interest$901
Property taxes (2.13% a year)$297
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$70
PMI$0
Total per month$1,268

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$5,859
Loan amount$164,368
Principal and interest$1,106
Property taxes (2.13% a year)$297
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$70
FHA mortgage insurance$74
Total per month$1,547

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Questions about home buying in Creston

What is the median home value in Creston?

About $167,400 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Creston?

Homeowners pay a median $3,569 a year, which is about 2.13% 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 Creston?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $1,268 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $54,333 a year.

More about Creston

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