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Buying a home in Crystal Lake, Iowa

The typical owner-occupied home in Crystal Lake is worth about $100,300, 52% below the Iowa median of $208,000 and 70% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,078 a year in property taxes, about 1.07% of their home's value, lower than the Iowa rate of 1.39%. The median household earns $66,875 a year, so the median home costs 1.5 times the median income (2.8 times for Iowa). 86% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 53% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Crystal Lake at a glance

Crystal Lake Iowa U.S.
Median home value $100,300 $208,000 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $1,078 $2,897 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 1.07% 1.39% 0.94%
Median household income $66,875 $75,059 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 86% 72% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 53% 59% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $872 $1,533 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 9.0% 18.7% 21.0%
Median rent $911 $972 $1,413
Median year homes were built 1950 1972 1980
Vacant homes 0.0% 8.5% 10.1%
Population 283 3,210,507 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Crystal Lake

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Crystal Lake home of $100,300 with 20% down costs about $671 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $838, 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 $28,758 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 12% of the median Crystal Lake household income of $66,875; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $233,000.

The median rent here is $911 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$20,060
Loan amount$80,240
Principal and interest$540
Property taxes (1.07% a year)$89
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$42
PMI$0
Total per month$671

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$3,510
Loan amount$98,483
Principal and interest$662
Property taxes (1.07% a year)$89
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$42
FHA mortgage insurance$44
Total per month$838

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Questions about home buying in Crystal Lake

What is the median home value in Crystal Lake?

About $100,300 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Crystal Lake?

Homeowners pay a median $1,078 a year, which is about 1.07% 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 Crystal Lake?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $671 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $28,758 a year.

More about Crystal Lake

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