Photo: Mingusboodle at English Wikipedia · Public domainMeasured against area pay, Pittsfield costs less to live in than 85% of U.S. towns
It ranks #80 of 768 in Illinois for affordability. Up 3% in a year, 54% below the Illinois typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of Pike County, IL ($60K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across Pike County earn ($60K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 1.9 years of area income, and 42% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $138Ktypical home, 54% below the Illinois typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $970a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 1.9 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$60K, Pike County income
- 14%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 42%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Illinois: 48%Census 2020–24
- 21%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
The short version on homes in Pittsfield
Owning can cost less than renting
With 20% down at the calculator’s rate, the typical Pittsfield home runs about $860 a month with tax and insurance. A two-bedroom rents for about $970. Can I afford it? ↓
Fewer people, more homes
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Pittsfield lost 370 residents while 44 new homes were permitted. New homes ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; permits are Census figures through 2025; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Pittsfield’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Pittsfield is more affordable than 85% of U.S. towns, #80 of 768 in Illinois. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; home prices hold it up.
Values have outpaced Illinois: the typical Pittsfield home is up 43.5% in five years, against 29.6% statewide (Zillow).
Up 43.5% in five years
Faster than Illinois (29.6%).
Show as a table
| January | Pittsfield | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | $85,000 | $188,000 |
| 2019 | $85,000 | $193,000 |
| 2020 | $85,000 | $198,000 |
| 2021 | $95,000 | $213,000 |
| 2022 | $92,000 | $233,000 |
| 2023 | $98,000 | $246,000 |
| 2024 | $103,000 | $260,000 |
| 2025 | $120,000 | $275,000 |
| 2026 | $131,000 | $287,000 |
| September 2026 | $138,000 | $296,000 |
A typical Pittsfield home worth $84K in February 2017 is worth about $138K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 1.9 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Pittsfield’s own median, or type yours.
That covers a typical Pittsfield home, with $86K to spare.
A two-bedroom rents for about $970 a month here, $110 more than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Pittsfield’s typical property tax (1.24% 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 $970
Renters already here pay a median of $705, 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 (Pike County, IL): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
No new homes permitted in 2025
No permits for new homes were issued in Pittsfield in 2025. The last year with any was 2023 (1 new home).
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Pittsfield's population fell by 370 even though 44 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) | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $303,000 |
| 2022 | 4 | 2 | 2 | $768,000 |
| 2021 | 4 | 2 | 2 | $768,000 |
| 2020 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $951,000 |
| 2019 | 8 | 4 | 4 | $1.4 million |
| 2018 | 3 | 1 | 2 | $550,000 |
| 2017 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $646,000 |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2014 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $1 million |
| 2013 | 18 | 3 | 15 | $3.9 million |
| 2012 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $500,000 |
| 2011 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $1.3 million |
| 2010 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $350,000 |
| 2009 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $200,000 |
| 2008 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2007 | 4 | 2 | 2 | $850,000 |
| 2006 | 12 | 12 | 0 | $793,000 |
| 2005 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $926,000 |
| 2004 | 15 | 15 | 0 | $992,000 |
| 2003 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $926,000 |
| 2002 | 13 | 13 | 0 | $859,000 |
| 2001 | 13 | 13 | 0 | $859,000 |
| 2000 | 13 | 13 | 0 | $859,000 |
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 $1,383 (Illinois: $5,298), 1.24% 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+”.
Pittsfield vs. its neighbors
Of the 1 towns here with a Zillow value, Pittsfield has the lowest. Pittsfield Township and Newburg 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsfield | A− | $138K | $111K | 1.24% | $970 |
| Pittsfield Township | – | — | $117K | 1.25% | $970 |
| Newburg Township | – | — | $116K | 1.79% | $960 |
“—” under Cost: not graded (too little Census data, or under 1,000 residents). “—” under Zillow: Zillow publishes no value for that town, so it’s left blank rather than mixed with Census figures.
Questions about the cost of living in Pittsfield
Is Pittsfield expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Pittsfield costs less than 85% of U.S. towns: an A− for cost of living, #80 of 768 in Illinois. The typical home costs 1.9 years of the median household income of Pike County, IL ($60K).
How much does a house cost in Pittsfield?
About $138K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 3.0% in a year. The Illinois typical home is $296K.
What salary do you need to live in Pittsfield?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $37,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $860 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $39,000.
How much is rent in Pittsfield?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $970 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $705 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Pittsfield?
The median bill is $1,383 a year, 1.24% of the median home value (Illinois: $5,298, 2.01%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Pittsfield going up?
Yes: up 3.0% in the past year and 43.5% in five years, against 29.6% across Illinois (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Pittsfield 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. 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.