Photo: artistmac · CC BY-SA 2.0Measured against area pay, Normal costs less to live in than 54% of U.S. towns
It ranks #301 of 768 in Illinois for affordability. About the same as a year ago, 9% below the Illinois typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Bloomington, IL metro area ($80K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across the Bloomington metro earn ($80K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 2.7 years of metro income, and 59% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $270Ktypical home, 9% below the Illinois typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,230a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
- 94prices across the Bloomington metro, where the U.S. is 100 (housing 75)BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
In paychecks the grade
- 2.7 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$80K, Bloomington-area income
- 14%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 59%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Illinois: 48%Census 2020–24
- 14%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
The short version on homes in Normal
About half of renters are stretched
59% of renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent, against 48% across Illinois. A standard two-bedroom would take 23% of the median household income. Renting ↓
A median income goes further next door
At Normal’s median income, the calculator’s budget of about $214K falls short here but covers the typical home in Bloomington City Township ($203K) and Normal Township ($211K). Can I afford it? ↓
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 Normal’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Normal is more affordable than 54% of U.S. towns, #301 of 768 in Illinois. Property tax pulls the grade down most; rent holds it up.
32% of residents are college students, whose low reported incomes push up the share paying 30%+ for housing, so the grade leaves that input out.
Prices here have kept pace with Illinois: up 30.3% in five years, against 29.6% statewide (Zillow).
Up 30.3% in five years
About the same pace as Illinois (29.6%).
Show as a table
| January | Normal | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $189,000 | $179,000 |
| 2018 | $188,000 | $188,000 |
| 2019 | $188,000 | $193,000 |
| 2020 | $188,000 | $198,000 |
| 2021 | $201,000 | $213,000 |
| 2022 | $211,000 | $233,000 |
| 2023 | $242,000 | $246,000 |
| 2024 | $246,000 | $260,000 |
| 2025 | $262,000 | $275,000 |
| 2026 | $268,000 | $287,000 |
| September 2026 | $270,000 | $296,000 |
A typical Normal home worth $189K in October 2016 is worth about $270K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A strong seller's market
Homes are selling faster than new ones are listed: less than two months of supply. Well-priced homes can draw several offers.
Under ~4 months of supply favors sellers; over ~6 favors buyers.
Redfin Data Center, all residential sales, September 2026.
A typical home costs 2.7 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Normal’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $7K short of a typical Normal home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,230 a month here, $690 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Normal’s typical property tax (2.22% 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 $1,230
Renters already here pay a median of $965, 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 (Bloomington, IL MSA): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
150 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 150 new homes in Normal in 2025: 86 single-family houses and 64 in buildings with two or more homes, worth about $29.6 million to build. That's 2.8 per 1,000 residents, faster than across Illinois (1.6). Over the past 10 years, Normal has permitted 1,148 homes in all.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Normal gained 239 residents while 1,673 new homes were permitted: about 0.1 new residents per new home. Building outpaced population growth, which usually means smaller households or homes used part of the year.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 41 | 41 | 0 | $12.2 million |
| 2025 | 150 | 86 | 64 | $29.6 million |
| 2024 | 103 | 57 | 46 | $19.4 million |
| 2023 | 71 | 71 | 0 | $19.5 million |
| 2022 | 114 | 114 | 0 | $32.2 million |
| 2021 | 84 | 68 | 16 | $17.4 million |
| 2020 | 81 | 65 | 16 | $15.6 million |
| 2019 | 76 | 39 | 37 | $6.7 million |
| 2018 | 95 | 37 | 58 | $5 million |
| 2017 | 223 | 59 | 164 | $19.1 million |
| 2016 | 151 | 77 | 74 | $14.2 million |
| 2015 | 137 | 69 | 68 | $11.2 million |
| 2014 | 87 | 81 | 6 | $8.3 million |
| 2013 | 226 | 117 | 109 | $23.2 million |
| 2012 | 190 | 85 | 105 | $14.5 million |
| 2011 | 311 | 51 | 260 | $25.9 million |
| 2010 | 177 | 80 | 97 | $14.9 million |
| 2009 | 177 | 66 | 111 | $13.4 million |
| 2008 | 175 | 122 | 53 | $15.4 million |
| 2007 | 254 | 129 | 125 | $18.2 million |
| 2006 | 263 | 261 | 2 | $24.6 million |
| 2005 | 308 | 279 | 29 | $27.6 million |
| 2004 | 474 | 335 | 139 | $38.5 million |
| 2003 | 608 | 436 | 172 | $44 million |
| 2002 | 538 | 354 | 184 | $37.3 million |
| 2001 | 558 | 341 | 217 | $35 million |
| 2000 | 292 | 140 | 152 | $14.5 million |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Low tax bills, but a high tax rate
The median bill is $4,749, under the Illinois median of $5,298, because homes cost less. As a share of value it’s 2.22% 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+”.
The rest of a budget near Normal
Only figures published free for the whole country, each labeled with the area it covers: the Bloomington, IL metro area, or Illinois. Groceries follow the goods price level; nobody publishes them town by town.
| Cost | Here | Compared with | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prices overall U.S. = 100 | 94 | IL 100 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Goods (groceries, clothing, cars…) U.S. = 100 | 94 | IL 104 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Utilities U.S. = 100 | 90 | IL 85 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Other services U.S. = 100 | 100 | IL 100 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
Price levels: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024 (metro area and state). Electricity: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, table 5.6.A.
Normal vs. its neighbors
Of the 3 towns here with a Zillow value, Normal has the 3rd-lowest. Normal Township and Bloomington City Township have no Zillow value, so they are in the table only.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | B− | $270K | $214K | 2.22% | $1,230 |
| Bloomington | B− | $269K | $203K | 2.15% | $1,390 |
| Bloomington City Township | B− | — | $203K | 2.15% | $1,390 |
| Normal Township | – | — | $211K | 2.22% | $1,190 |
| Towanda Township | C | $266K | $328K | 2.12% | $1,280 |
“—” under Zillow: Zillow publishes no value for that town, so it’s left blank rather than mixed with Census figures. “—” under Cost: not graded (too little Census data, or under 1,000 residents).
Questions about the cost of living in Normal
Is Normal expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Normal costs less than 54% of U.S. towns: a B− for cost of living, #301 of 768 in Illinois. The typical home costs 2.7 years of the median household income of the Bloomington, IL metro area ($80K).
How much does a house cost in Normal?
About $270K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 0.4% in a year. The Illinois typical home is $296K.
What salary do you need to live in Normal?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $82,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,920 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $49,000.
How much is rent in Normal?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,230 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $965 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Normal?
The median bill is $4,749 a year, 2.22% of the median home value (Illinois: $5,298, 2.01%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Normal going up?
Barely: up 0.4% in the past year and 30.3% in five years, against 29.6% across Illinois (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Normal 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.