Brown County, Illinois Housing Market Prices
Brown County Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 88% below the Illinois median Among the top 3 cheapest counties in Illinois$17,499
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Median rent 45% below the Illinois median Cheaper than 89% of counties in Illinois$697
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Brown County | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $17,499 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | -14.6% | 2.5% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $697 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 3.2% | 4.1% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Brown County is about 88% lower than in Illinois. Rent is about 45% lower than the Illinois average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Home prices and rent are moving in opposite directions in Brown County: home prices fell about 14.6% a year while rent rose about 3.2% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
Median rent in Brown County rose about 22.5% between 2015 and 2024, from $569 to $697. Over the same span, rent in Illinois rose about 40.4%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 0.3 yearly household incomes in Brown County.
Buying the median-priced home in Brown County costs roughly 2.1 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Brown County. The price-to-rent ratio in Illinois is about 9.8.
| Metric | Brown County | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $17,499 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $68,449 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 0.3 | 1.8 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Brown County fell about 77.6%, while median household income rose about 88.5% between 2009 and 2025 — income grew faster than the home price.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Brown County | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 63.1% | 61.9% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 24.8% | 30.4% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 12.1% | 7.7% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 17.0 | 16.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
Brown County has a homeownership rate of 63.1%, higher than the Illinois average of 61.9%. Its housing vacancy rate is 12.1%, compared with 7.7% in Illinois.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Brown County | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.15 people | 2.46 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1963 | 1969 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.9 | 5.6 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Brown County was built around 1963. On average, 2.1 people live in a home with about 5.9 rooms, staying for about 17.0 years on average.
Brown County, IL Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
How Brown County, IL compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown County, IL | 6,321 | $17,499 #2/2 | $697 #2/2 | 71.8% #1/2 |
| McDonough County, IL | 26,917 | $90,788 | $761 | 63.5% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Brown County, Illinois.
What is the median home price in Brown County, Illinois?
The median home price in Brown County, Illinois is $17,499, lower than the Illinois average of $149,936.
What is the average home price in Brown County, Illinois?
The typical home price in Brown County, Illinois, reported as the median sale price, is $17,499. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Brown County, Illinois?
The median gross rent in Brown County, Illinois is $697 per month, lower than the Illinois average of $1,274.
What was the median gross rent in Brown County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Brown County, Illinois was $484 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Brown County, Illinois?
The price-to-rent ratio in Brown County, Illinois is about 2.1, meaning it would take roughly 2.1 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively low price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor buying over renting in Brown County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Brown County, Illinois?
Home prices and rent are moving in opposite directions in Brown County: home prices fell about 14.6% a year while rent rose about 3.2% a year. That is an unusual pattern worth watching.
What is the homeownership rate in Brown County, Illinois?
63.1% of households in Brown County, Illinois own their home, higher than the Illinois average of 61.9%.
What is the vacancy rate in Brown County, Illinois?
The housing vacancy rate in Brown County, Illinois is 12.1%, higher than the Illinois average of 7.7%.
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