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Buying a home in Fairfield, Illinois

The typical owner-occupied home in Fairfield is worth about $88,800, 66% below the Illinois median of $263,300 and 73% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,539 a year in property taxes, about 1.73% of their home's value, lower than the Illinois rate of 2.01%. The median household earns $41,989 a year, so the median home costs 2.1 times the median income (3.2 times for Illinois). 68% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 53% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Fairfield at a glance

Fairfield Illinois U.S.
Median home value $88,800 $263,300 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $1,539 $5,298 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 1.73% 2.01% 0.94%
Median household income $41,989 $83,390 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 68% 67% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 53% 61% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,069 $1,987 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 18.9% 20.6% 21.0%
Median rent $585 $1,274 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 29.6% 29.1% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1958 1971 1980
Vacant homes 10.0% 7.7% 10.1%
Population 4,561 12,694,798 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Fairfield

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Fairfield home of $88,800 with 20% down costs about $643 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $791, 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 $27,553 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 18% of the median Fairfield household income of $41,989; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $135,000.

The median rent here is $585 a month, so owning the median home costs about $58 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$17,760
Loan amount$71,040
Principal and interest$478
Property taxes (1.73% a year)$128
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$37
PMI$0
Total per month$643

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$3,108
Loan amount$87,192
Principal and interest$587
Property taxes (1.73% a year)$128
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$37
FHA mortgage insurance$39
Total per month$791

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Questions about home buying in Fairfield

What is the median home value in Fairfield?

About $88,800 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Fairfield?

Homeowners pay a median $1,539 a year, which is about 1.73% 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 Fairfield?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $643 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $27,553 a year.

More about Fairfield

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