Housing

Housing Costs

According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, households that pay more than 30% of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened, and households that spend more than 50% are severely cost-burdened. Homeowners and renters that pay more of their income towards housing may have fewer resources to cover medical bills, handle childcare expenses, make discretionary purchases, and so on.

The following chart shows the percentage of tri-state housing costs at two levels: greater than 30% and greater than 50% of household income. Renters are more likely to be cost-burdened and severely cost-burdened than homeowners. Jo Daviess and Stephenson counties in Illinois have the highest percentage of cost-burdened renters.

Note: Numbers in the Tooltip marked with † have a margin of error is at least 10 percent of the total value of the estimate. Take care with these statistics.

Source: US Census, ACS 2022 5-year

Housing Occupancy Rates, Types, & Median Home Values

Occupancy rates for most Northwest Illinois counties are higher than the US rate. A high rate can stifle family and community growth as well as reduce workforce availability. While rates for Carroll and Jo Daviess counties are lower than 80%, vacancy does not necessarily equate with availability.

Most housing in Northwest Illinois is single-family, detached and tends to be owner-occupied. When single-family, detached owner-occupied housing is predominant, it can also limit community growth and workforce availability. A variety of housing types targeted at different ages, incomes, sizes, etc. is needed to support diverse individuals and families.

Aside from raising a child - a home purchase is typically the largest investment a person makes in a lifetime. While home ownership supports household stability, a mortgage can also stress household budgets. In the region, home values are lower than both national and state values. In three counties - Carroll, Stephenson, and Whiteside - median home values are considerably less than (some less than half of) Illinois' median home value.

Note: Numbers in the Tooltip marked with † have a margin of error is at least 10 percent of the total value of the estimate. Take care with these statistics.

Source: US Census, ACS 2022 5-year

Housing Occupied by Owners & Renters

In the United States, people largely own their homes, and renters account for about a third of occupants. In the BHRC region, each county has a larger percentage of owner-occupied housing units compared to the nation and state.

The majority of the region's renters live in one-unit, detached housing. In Lee and Whiteside counties, over 50% of renters live in these types of units. Comparatively, the majority of renters in the nation (34.5%) and state (33.5%) live in units with 10 or more apartments. In every county except Ogle, the number of renters living in one-unit, detached housing has increased from 2010 to 2020. Lee County is especially notable, jumping from 42.2% (2010) to 53.3% (2020).

Note: Numbers in the Tooltip marked with † have a margin of error is at least 10 percent of the total value of the estimate. Take care with these statistics.

Source: US Census, ACS 2022 5-year

Year Built

Housing built in 1939 or earlier constitutes a large portion of the region's housing stock; in Carroll County, 1939 and earlier housing accounts for over one-third of all housing units.

The reality of regional housing scarcity means that removing abandoned or blighted properties should proceed with caution. If local governments want to encourage community and economic stability - let alone growth - they must consider approaches to revitalization that do not simply demolish existing stock. While it is true that older homes tend to be less energy efficient, contain environmental contaminants (such as asbestos or lead), and lack accessibility features, they can also be cheaper to buy/rent, attractive to certain buyers/renters, maintain cultural memory, preserve historic character, and be less carbon intensive to remodel than new builds. Contaminants can also be mitigated through proper remediation strategies.

Note: Numbers in the Tooltip marked with † have a margin of error is at least 10 percent of the total value of the estimate. Take care with these statistics.

Source: US Census, ACS 2022 5-year for Housing and Median Year Built

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