Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Vandalia, Illinois
A $89,000 home here costs
$973per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $458. The real number is $515 higher every month — 113% 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.
Vandalia against Fayette County and Illinois
| Measure | Vandalia | Fayette County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $88,800 | $114,700 |
| Median property tax | $1,479 | $1,740 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.666% | 1.517% |
| Median gross rent | $738 | $740 |
| Population | 6,041 | 21,380 |
The weather behind that power bill
Vandalia sits in Fayette County, which averages a high of 86.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 21.3°F in its coldest, with 41.2" of precipitation a year and 34% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,274 cooling and 5,046 heating degree days, which is what sets the $214 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Fayette County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Fayette County
Full Fayette County cost breakdown · Every county in Illinois
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Vandalia?
A $89,000 home in Vandalia, Illinois costs approximately $973 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $458 principal and interest, $124 property tax, $35 homeowners insurance, $282 utilities and $74 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Vandalia?
Vandalia has an effective property tax rate of 1.666%, based on a median home value of $88,800 and median real estate taxes of $1,479. That is higher than the Fayette County average of 1.517%.
What is the average home price in Vandalia?
The median owner-occupied home value in Vandalia, Illinois is $88,800, against $114,700 across Fayette County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Vandalia?
Median gross rent in Vandalia is $738 a month, against $973 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 Vandalia — 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.