Stephenson County, Illinois Housing Market Prices
Stephenson 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 62% below the Illinois median Cheaper than 71% of counties in Illinois$56,873
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Median rent 37% below the Illinois median$797
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Stephenson County | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $56,873 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 1.8% | 2.5% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $797 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 3.3% | 4.1% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Stephenson County is about 62% 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 Stephenson County, up about 1.8% and 3.3% a year respectively. Rent is changing faster.
Median rent in Stephenson County rose about 30.6% between 2015 and 2024, from $610 to $797. Over the same span, rent in Illinois rose about 40.4%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 0.9 yearly household incomes in Stephenson County.
Buying the median-priced home in Stephenson County costs roughly 5.9 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 Stephenson County. The price-to-rent ratio in Illinois is about 9.8.
| Metric | Stephenson County | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $56,873 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $64,970 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 0.9 | 1.8 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Stephenson County fell about 29.5%, while median household income rose about 36.3% 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 | Stephenson County | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 64.3% | 61.9% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 26.4% | 30.4% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 9.2% | 7.7% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 17.0 | 16.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
Stephenson County has a homeownership rate of 64.3%, higher than the Illinois average of 61.9%. Its housing vacancy rate is 9.2%, compared with 7.7% in Illinois.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Stephenson County | Illinois Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.22 people | 2.46 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1961 | 1969 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.9 | 5.6 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Stephenson County was built around 1961. On average, 2.2 people live in a home with about 5.9 rooms, staying for about 17.0 years on average.
Stephenson County, IL Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Stephenson County, IL is the 3rd largest of the 5 counties compared here, 43,760 residents against a local median of 36,668. Stephenson County, IL's median home price, at $56,873, runs 59% below the $138,106 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $209,405 on median home price, so Stephenson County, IL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Stephenson County, IL has the 4th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephenson County, IL | 43,760 | $56,873 #4/5 | $797 #5/5 | 70.9% #4/5 |
| Carroll County, IL | 15,576 | $54,583 | $817 | 77.2% |
| Ogle County, IL | 51,485 | $169,914 | $936 | 75.4% |
| Winnebago County, IL | 283,258 | $106,298 | $1,021 | 65.9% |
| Jo Daviess County, IL | 21,851 | $263,988 | $825 | 80.4% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Stephenson County, Illinois.
What is the median home price in Stephenson County, Illinois?
The median home price in Stephenson County, Illinois is $56,873, lower than the Illinois average of $149,936.
What is the average home price in Stephenson County, Illinois?
The typical home price in Stephenson County, Illinois, reported as the median sale price, is $56,873. 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 Stephenson County, Illinois?
The median gross rent in Stephenson County, Illinois is $797 per month, lower than the Illinois average of $1,274.
What was the median gross rent in Stephenson County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Stephenson County, Illinois was $670 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Stephenson County, Illinois?
The price-to-rent ratio in Stephenson County, Illinois is about 5.9, meaning it would take roughly 5.9 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 Stephenson County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Stephenson County, Illinois?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Stephenson County, up about 1.8% and 3.3% a year respectively. Rent is changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Stephenson County, Illinois?
64.3% of households in Stephenson County, Illinois own their home, higher than the Illinois average of 61.9%.
What is the vacancy rate in Stephenson County, Illinois?
The housing vacancy rate in Stephenson County, Illinois is 9.2%, higher than the Illinois average of 7.7%.
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