Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Downs, Illinois
A $238,000 home here costs
$2,277per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,224. The real number is $1,054 higher every month — 86% 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.
Downs against McLean County and Illinois
| Measure | Downs | McLean County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $237,700 | $198,300 |
| Median property tax | $5,752 | $4,503 |
| Effective tax rate | 2.420% | 2.271% |
| Median gross rent | $1,250 | $992 |
| Population | 1,451 | 170,882 |
The weather behind that power bill
Downs sits in McLean County, which averages a high of 86.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 15.6°F in its coldest, with 39.39" of precipitation a year and 33% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 978 cooling and 6,023 heating degree days, which is what sets the $214 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for McLean County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in McLean County
Full McLean County cost breakdown · Every county in Illinois
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Downs?
A $238,000 home in Downs, Illinois costs approximately $2,277 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,224 principal and interest, $480 property tax, $93 homeowners insurance, $282 utilities and $198 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Downs?
Downs has an effective property tax rate of 2.420%, based on a median home value of $237,700 and median real estate taxes of $5,752. That is higher than the McLean County average of 2.271%.
What is the average home price in Downs?
The median owner-occupied home value in Downs, Illinois is $237,700, against $198,300 across McLean County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Downs?
Median gross rent in Downs is $1,250 a month, against $2,277 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 Downs — 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.