Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Zion, Illinois
A $179,000 home here costs
$1,925per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $920. The real number is $1,005 higher every month — 109% 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.
Zion against Lake County and Illinois
| Measure | Zion | Lake County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $179,100 | $326,600 |
| Median property tax | $6,040 | $8,743 |
| Effective tax rate | 3.372% | 2.677% |
| Median gross rent | $1,139 | $1,434 |
| Population | 24,466 | 711,885 |
The weather behind that power bill
Zion sits in Lake County, which averages a high of 83.5°F in its hottest month and a low of 16.3°F in its coldest, with 39.51" of precipitation a year and 33% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 806 cooling and 6,366 heating degree days, which is what sets the $214 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Lake County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Lake County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Zion?
A $179,000 home in Zion, Illinois costs approximately $1,925 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $920 principal and interest, $503 property tax, $70 homeowners insurance, $282 utilities and $149 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Zion?
Zion has an effective property tax rate of 3.372%, based on a median home value of $179,100 and median real estate taxes of $6,040. That is higher than the Lake County average of 2.677%.
What is the average home price in Zion?
The median owner-occupied home value in Zion, Illinois is $179,100, against $326,600 across Lake County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Zion?
Median gross rent in Zion is $1,139 a month, against $1,925 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 Zion — 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.