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Buying a home in East Saint Louis, Illinois

The typical owner-occupied home in East Saint Louis is worth about $52,600, 80% below the Illinois median of $263,300 and 84% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,184 a year in property taxes, about 2.25% of their home's value, higher than the Illinois rate of 2.01%. The median household earns $35,700 a year, so the median home costs 1.5 times the median income (3.2 times for Illinois). 61% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 26% of those owners still have a mortgage.

East Saint Louis at a glance

East Saint Louis Illinois U.S.
Median home value $52,600 $263,300 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $1,184 $5,298 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 2.25% 2.01% 0.94%
Median household income $35,700 $83,390 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 61% 67% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 26% 61% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,099 $1,987 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 31.7% 20.6% 21.0%
Median rent $847 $1,274 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 34.0% 29.1% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1956 1971 1980
Vacant homes 33.8% 7.7% 10.1%
Population 17,999 12,694,798 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in East Saint Louis

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median East Saint Louis home of $52,600 with 20% down costs about $404 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $491, 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 $17,298 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 14% of the median East Saint Louis household income of $35,700; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $109,000.

The median rent here is $847 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$10,520
Loan amount$42,080
Principal and interest$283
Property taxes (2.25% a year)$99
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$22
PMI$0
Total per month$404

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$1,841
Loan amount$51,647
Principal and interest$347
Property taxes (2.25% a year)$99
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$22
FHA mortgage insurance$23
Total per month$491

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Questions about home buying in East Saint Louis

What is the median home value in East Saint Louis?

About $52,600 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in East Saint Louis?

Homeowners pay a median $1,184 a year, which is about 2.25% 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 East Saint Louis?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $404 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $17,298 a year.

More about East Saint Louis

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