Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Princeton, Illinois
A $131,000 home here costs
$1,323per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $673. The real number is $650 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.
Princeton against Bureau County and Illinois
| Measure | Princeton | Bureau County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $131,300 | $121,900 |
| Median property tax | $2,489 | $2,522 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.896% | 2.069% |
| Median gross rent | $739 | $838 |
| Population | 7,829 | 33,027 |
The weather behind that power bill
Princeton sits in Bureau County, which averages a high of 84.5°F in its hottest month and a low of 13.8°F in its coldest, with 39.79" of precipitation a year and 35% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 860 cooling and 6,401 heating degree days, which is what sets the $214 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Bureau County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Bureau County
Full Bureau County cost breakdown · Every county in Illinois
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Princeton?
A $131,000 home in Princeton, Illinois costs approximately $1,323 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $673 principal and interest, $207 property tax, $51 homeowners insurance, $282 utilities and $109 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Princeton?
Princeton has an effective property tax rate of 1.896%, based on a median home value of $131,300 and median real estate taxes of $2,489. That is lower than the Bureau County average of 2.069%.
What is the average home price in Princeton?
The median owner-occupied home value in Princeton, Illinois is $131,300, against $121,900 across Bureau County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Princeton?
Median gross rent in Princeton is $739 a month, against $1,323 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 Princeton — 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.