Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Chester, Illinois
A $108,000 home here costs
$1,103per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $555. The real number is $548 higher every month — 99% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Chester against Randolph County and Illinois
| Measure | Chester | Randolph County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $107,800 | $134,100 |
| Median property tax | $1,596 | $1,877 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.481% | 1.400% |
| Median gross rent | $642 | $760 |
| Population | 6,830 | 30,142 |
The weather behind that power bill
Chester sits in Randolph County, which averages a high of 87.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 21.6°F in its coldest, with 45.64" of precipitation a year and 32% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,244 cooling and 4,833 heating degree days, which is what sets the $214 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Randolph County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Randolph County
Full Randolph County cost breakdown · Every county in Illinois
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Chester?
A $108,000 home in Chester, Illinois costs approximately $1,103 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $555 principal and interest, $133 property tax, $42 homeowners insurance, $282 utilities and $90 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Chester?
Chester has an effective property tax rate of 1.481%, based on a median home value of $107,800 and median real estate taxes of $1,596. That is higher than the Randolph County average of 1.400%.
What is the average home price in Chester?
The median owner-occupied home value in Chester, Illinois is $107,800, against $134,100 across Randolph County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Chester?
Median gross rent in Chester is $642 a month, against $1,103 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Chester — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Illinois.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.