Photo: Nyttend · Public domainMeasured against area pay, Clinton costs less to live in than 89% of U.S. towns
It ranks #44 of 768 in Illinois for affordability. Up 8.8% in a year, 47% below the Illinois typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of De Witt County, IL ($72K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across De Witt County earn ($72K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 1.4 years of area income, and 35% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $157Ktypical home, 47% below the Illinois typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,050a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 1.4 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$72K, De Witt County income
- 16%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 35%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Illinois: 48%Census 2020–24
- 13%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What Clinton’s housing numbers say
Rent is easier on renters here
35% of renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent, against 48% across Illinois. A standard two-bedroom is 20% of the median household income. Renting ↓
Very little new building
Clinton permitted 28 new homes over the past 10 years, about 0.4 a year per 1,000 residents. Across Illinois, the pace in 2025 was 1.6. In 2025, Clinton permitted 5. New homes ↓
Fewer people, more homes
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Clinton lost 221 residents while 25 new homes were permitted. New homes ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; sales and supply are Redfin’s for September 2026; permits are Census figures through 2025; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Clinton’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Clinton is more affordable than 89% of U.S. towns, #44 of 768 in Illinois. Rent pulls the grade down most; home prices hold it up.
Values have outpaced Illinois: the typical Clinton home is up 42.5% in five years, against 29.6% statewide (Zillow).
Up 42.5% in five years
Faster than Illinois (29.6%).
Show as a table
| January | Clinton | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $97,000 | $179,000 |
| 2018 | $102,000 | $188,000 |
| 2019 | $98,000 | $193,000 |
| 2020 | $103,000 | $198,000 |
| 2021 | $106,000 | $213,000 |
| 2022 | $115,000 | $233,000 |
| 2023 | $122,000 | $246,000 |
| 2024 | $128,000 | $260,000 |
| 2025 | $141,000 | $275,000 |
| 2026 | $149,000 | $287,000 |
| September 2026 | $157,000 | $296,000 |
A typical Clinton home worth $97K in October 2016 is worth about $157K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
Too few sales to read the market
Only 6 homes sold in September 2026, the latest month in Redfin’s figures: too few to describe the market or quote a median sale price.
A typical home costs 1.4 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Clinton’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Clinton home, with $94K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,050 a month here, $0 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Clinton’s typical property tax (1.75% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,050
Renters already here pay a median of $934, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (De Witt County, IL): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
5 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 5 new homes in Clinton in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $1.7 million to build. That's 0.7 per 1,000 residents, slower than across Illinois (1.6). Over the past 10 years, Clinton has permitted 28 homes in all.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Clinton's population fell by 221 even though 25 new homes were permitted. Homes are holding fewer people: households are getting smaller, or more homes are used part of the year.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 3 | 3 | 0 | $1 million |
| 2025 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1.7 million |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $1.5 million |
| 2022 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $315,000 |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | 2 | $410,000 |
| 2020 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $1 million |
| 2019 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $380,000 |
| 2018 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $600,000 |
| 2017 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $435,000 |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2015 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $465,000 |
| 2014 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $615,000 |
| 2013 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $514,000 |
| 2012 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $730,000 |
| 2011 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $200,000 |
| 2010 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $463,000 |
| 2009 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $248,000 |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2007 | 10 | 7 | 3 | $1.4 million |
| 2006 | 17 | 12 | 5 | $2.2 million |
| 2005 | 15 | 12 | 3 | $1.9 million |
| 2004 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $469,000 |
| 2003 | 9 | 7 | 2 | $791,000 |
| 2002 | 11 | 5 | 6 | $882,000 |
| 2001 | 21 | 6 | 15 | $1.1 million |
| 2000 | 12 | 12 | 0 | $1.3 million |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Property tax runs below the Illinois norm
The median bill is $1,797 (Illinois: $5,298), 1.75% of a home’s value a year, against 2.01% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Clinton and its neighbors
One source per column.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton | A | $157K | $103K | 1.75% | $1,050 |
Questions about the cost of living in Clinton
Is Clinton expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Clinton costs less than 89% of U.S. towns: an A for cost of living, #44 of 768 in Illinois. The typical home costs 1.4 years of the median household income of De Witt County, IL ($72K).
How much does a house cost in Clinton?
About $157K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 8.8% in a year. The Illinois typical home is $296K.
What salary do you need to live in Clinton?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $45,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,050 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $42,000.
How much is rent in Clinton?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,050 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $934 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Clinton?
The median bill is $1,797 a year, 1.75% of the median home value (Illinois: $5,298, 2.01%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Clinton going up?
Yes: up 8.8% in the past year and 42.5% in five years, against 29.6% across Illinois (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Clinton buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, September 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.