Mason County, Illinois Housing Market Prices
Mason 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 70% below the Illinois median Cheaper than 83% of counties in Illinois$44,999
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Median rent 37% below the Illinois median$802
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Mason County | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $44,999 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 20.5% | 2.5% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $802 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 3.4% | 4.1% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Mason County is about 70% lower than in Illinois. Rent is about 37% lower than the Illinois average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Mason County, up about 20.5% and 3.4% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Mason County rose about 32.0% between 2015 and 2024, from $608 to $802. Over the same span, rent in Illinois rose about 40.4%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 0.7 yearly household incomes in Mason County.
Buying the median-priced home in Mason County costs roughly 4.7 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 Mason County. The price-to-rent ratio in Illinois is about 9.8.
| Metric | Mason County | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $44,999 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $62,566 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 0.7 | 1.8 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Mason County rose about 0.7%, while median household income rose about 35.5% 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 | Mason County | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 71.4% | 61.9% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 15.9% | 30.4% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 12.7% | 7.7% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 20.0 | 16.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2006 | 2010 | 2011 |
Mason County has a homeownership rate of 71.4%, higher than the Illinois average of 61.9%. Its housing vacancy rate is 12.7%, compared with 7.7% in Illinois.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Mason County | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.16 people | 2.46 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1959 | 1969 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.9 | 5.6 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Mason County was built around 1959. On average, 2.2 people live in a home with about 5.9 rooms, staying for about 20.0 years on average.
Mason County, IL Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Mason County, IL is the smallest of the 5 counties compared here, 12,741 residents against a local median of 81,644. Where Mason County, IL breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 37% below the local median of $71,694 at $44,999.
The counties themselves spread $95,456 on median home price, so Mason County, IL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Mason County, IL has the 5th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason County, IL | 12,741 | $44,999 #5/5 | $802 #3/5 | 81.8% #1/5 |
| Fulton County, IL | 33,018 | $74,502 | $784 | 76.6% |
| Cass County, IL | 12,785 | $68,886 | $723 | 75.9% |
| Tazewell County, IL | 130,271 | $161,953 | $909 | 78.3% |
| Sangamon County, IL | 194,875 | $66,497 | $982 | 71.3% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Mason County, Illinois.
What is the median home price in Mason County, Illinois?
The median home price in Mason County, Illinois is $44,999, lower than the Illinois average of $149,936.
What is the average home price in Mason County, Illinois?
The typical home price in Mason County, Illinois, reported as the median sale price, is $44,999. 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 Mason County, Illinois?
The median gross rent in Mason County, Illinois is $802 per month, lower than the Illinois average of $1,274.
What was the median gross rent in Mason County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Mason County, Illinois was $655 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Mason County, Illinois?
The price-to-rent ratio in Mason County, Illinois is about 4.7, meaning it would take roughly 4.7 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 Mason County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Mason County, Illinois?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Mason County, up about 20.5% and 3.4% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Mason County, Illinois?
71.4% of households in Mason County, Illinois own their home, higher than the Illinois average of 61.9%.
What is the vacancy rate in Mason County, Illinois?
The housing vacancy rate in Mason County, Illinois is 12.7%, higher than the Illinois average of 7.7%.
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