Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in DeKalb, Illinois
A $203,000 home here costs
$2,050per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,044. The real number is $1,006 higher every month — 96% 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.
DeKalb against DeKalb County and Illinois
| Measure | DeKalb | DeKalb County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $202,900 | $231,900 |
| Median property tax | $5,696 | $5,889 |
| Effective tax rate | 2.807% | 2.539% |
| Median gross rent | $1,030 | $1,041 |
| Population | 40,464 | 100,512 |
The weather behind that power bill
DeKalb sits in DeKalb County, which averages a high of 83.1°F in its hottest month and a low of 13.1°F in its coldest, with 37.25" of precipitation a year and 36% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 790 cooling and 6,745 heating degree days, which is what sets the $214 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for DeKalb County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in DeKalb County
Full DeKalb County cost breakdown · Every county in Illinois
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in DeKalb?
A $203,000 home in DeKalb, Illinois costs approximately $2,050 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,044 principal and interest, $475 property tax, $80 homeowners insurance, $282 utilities and $169 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in DeKalb?
DeKalb has an effective property tax rate of 2.807%, based on a median home value of $202,900 and median real estate taxes of $5,696. That is higher than the DeKalb County average of 2.539%.
What is the average home price in DeKalb?
The median owner-occupied home value in DeKalb, Illinois is $202,900, against $231,900 across DeKalb County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in DeKalb?
Median gross rent in DeKalb is $1,030 a month, against $2,050 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 DeKalb — 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.