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Buying a home in Rock Island, Illinois

The typical owner-occupied home in Rock Island is worth about $125,900, 52% below the Illinois median of $263,300 and 62% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $2,979 a year in property taxes, about 2.37% of their home's value, higher than the Illinois rate of 2.01%. The median household earns $59,041 a year, so the median home costs 2.1 times the median income (3.2 times for Illinois). 65% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 58% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Rock Island at a glance

Rock Island Illinois U.S.
Median home value $125,900 $263,300 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $2,979 $5,298 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 2.37% 2.01% 0.94%
Median household income $59,041 $83,390 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 65% 67% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 58% 61% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,270 $1,987 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 19.2% 20.6% 21.0%
Median rent $842 $1,274 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 32.0% 29.1% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1954 1971 1980
Vacant homes 7.5% 7.7% 10.1%
Population 36,151 12,694,798 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Rock Island

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Rock Island home of $125,900 with 20% down costs about $979 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $1,188, 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 $41,943 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 20% of the median Rock Island household income of $59,041; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $177,000.

The median rent here is $842 a month, so owning the median home costs about $137 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$25,180
Loan amount$100,720
Principal and interest$678
Property taxes (2.37% a year)$249
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$52
PMI$0
Total per month$979

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$4,406
Loan amount$123,620
Principal and interest$832
Property taxes (2.37% a year)$249
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$52
FHA mortgage insurance$56
Total per month$1,188

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Questions about home buying in Rock Island

What is the median home value in Rock Island?

About $125,900 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Rock Island?

Homeowners pay a median $2,979 a year, which is about 2.37% 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 Rock Island?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $979 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $41,943 a year.

More about Rock Island

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