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City · 53,569 residents · McLean County, Illinois

Normal , Illinois

In Normal, a typical home is worth $213,600 and typical rent is $965 a month. Compared with all of McLean County, typical household income is 19% lower and the share of households that own their home is 10 points lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $213,600

    2% above the county

    19% below Illinois

    • Normal
    • McLean
    • Illinois

  • Typical rent

    $965a month

    4% below the county

    24% below Illinois

    • Normal
    • McLean
    • Illinois

  • Typical household income

    $64,785a year

    19% below the county

    22% below Illinois

    • Normal
    • McLean
    • Illinois

  • Households that own their home

    55%

    10 points below the county

    12 points below Illinois

    • Normal
    • McLean
    • Illinois

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$269,905
about the same as 12 months ago
Typical rent
$1,390 a month
3.9% more than 12 months ago

From Zillow (ZHVI/ZORI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

Normal is in McLean County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of McLean County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Normal apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. Nearby, in Clinton, the typical home value is $102,800: 52% less than in Normal ($213,600).

  2. Nearby, in Eureka, the typical rent is $692: 28% less than in Normal ($965).

  3. According to Zillow, in the 12 months to September 2026 the typical home value in Normal barely changed; in Illinois, it rose 5.3%.

  4. The typical household income in Normal is $64,785, 19% less than in McLean County as a whole ($79,905).

  5. 55% of households in Normal own their home, against 65% in McLean County.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024); Zillow (September 2026 data). Zillow data

The homes here

Housing in Normal

What homes there are in Normal, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).

What homes there are

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Kind of home

No kind of home is the majority in Normal; the largest group, detached houses, adds up to 47%, less than in McLean County (60%).

Year built

Here half of the homes date from 1989 or later; in McLean County, from 1981 or later.

In Normal, 63% of homes have 3 bedrooms or more, about the same as in McLean County.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes

The FHA limit for McLean County is high ($541,287): at least 97% of owner-occupied homes in Normal are worth less than $500,000.

Monthly rent with utilities

HUD's 2-bedroom fair market rent (FMR) for McLean County is $1,287; about 70% of rents in Normal are below it.

With a mortgage

$1,741 a month

McLean County: $1,673 a month

Without a mortgage

$735 a month

McLean County: $713 a month

Owners with a mortgage

63%

McLean County: 63%

In Normal, 63% of owners have a mortgage; their typical cost is $1,741 a month, about the same as in McLean County.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

Much as in McLean County, the typical home value in Normal rose 26% since 2015–2019.

Rents in Normal rose more slowly than in McLean County: 10% since 2015–2019, against 19%.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureNormalMcLean CountyIllinoisUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate5.5%5.0%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate0.6%1.0%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate1.3%2.5%3.4%
People per household 2.272.312.462.53
Drive alone 70%69%66%69%
Carpool 7%8%8%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimate1%6%3%
Walk or bike 9%4%3%3%
Work from home 13%18%16%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate1%1%2%
Typical commute 10 to 19 minutes10 to 19 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

A household in Normal has 2.27 people on average, about the same as in McLean County (2.31).

In Normal, 9% of workers walk or bike to work; in McLean County, 4%.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in Normal?

A typical home costs more than the typical income allows

We start with a typical home in Normal, worth $213,600, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 37% of the typical household income in Normal, which is $64,785 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $85,690 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of McLean County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Normal. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $7,476 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$1,999

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$209,731
Total interest
$301,754
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $3,607 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,512 a month

  • Tight

    $1,512 to $1,944 a month

  • Hard

    more than $1,944 a month

    Your payment · 37%

Compared with the typical household income in Normal ($64,785 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$1,999
Principal & interest$1,421
Property tax$395
Home insurance$89
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$94

You need at least $7,476 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.

The city and its county

Normal and McLean County

Normal is in McLean County, Illinois. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).

Normal's own numbers

Typical home value
$213,600
Typical monthly rent
$965
Typical yearly household income
$64,785
Households that own their home
55%
Effective property tax rate
2.22%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of McLean County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,287
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+54%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
0.6%

HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.

Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of McLean County.

Everything about McLean County

Buying

Buying a home in Normal

A typical home in Normal is worth $213,600: 2% above the county and 19% below Illinois. With the typical household income in Normal ($64,785 a year), a typical home costs 3.3 times what the household earns in a year.

Years of income to pay for a typical home

The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.

  • Normal 3.3 years
  • McLean 2.6 years
  • Illinois 3.2 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in McLean County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in McLean County rose 60% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of McLean County.

Period County Illinois U.S.
Last year (2025) +5.0% +5.7% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +54% +47% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +60% +65% +85%

The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data

Normal next to McLean County, Illinois and the U.S.

Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.

Typical home value
  • Normal $213,600
  • McLean $208,400
  • Illinois $263,300
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Normal $965
  • McLean $1,009
  • Illinois $1,274
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Normal $64,785
  • McLean $79,905
  • Illinois $83,390
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Normal next to McLean County and Illinois
Measure Normal McLean County Illinois U.S.
Typical home value $213,600 $208,400 $263,300 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $965 $1,009 $1,274 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $64,785 $79,905 $83,390 $80,734
Households that own their home 55% 65% 67% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $4,749 $4,524 $5,298 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 2.22% 2.17% 2.01% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 58% 45% 48% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below McLean County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

Four ways to pay for a typical home in Normal

For a typical $213,600 home in Normal, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Normal's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $1,999a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $7,476
    Cash to close
    $13,884
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $94

  • Conventional, 5% down $1,960a month

    Down payment
    $10,680
    Cash to close
    $17,088
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $101

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $1,642a month

    Down payment
    $42,720
    Cash to close
    $49,128
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $1,839a month

    Down payment
    $32,040
    Cash to close
    $38,448
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.

  • Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
  • Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
  • The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for Normal and for McLean County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Normal

2.22%of the home’s value each year

$4,749 a year for the typical owner in Normal.

  • Normal 2.22%
  • McLean 2.17%
  • Illinois 2.01%

What Illinois publishes General Homestead Exemption (Illinois Department of Revenue)

Exemptions and deadlines in Illinois

Flood risk in McLean County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of McLean County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
0.6%
320
Of those, with NFIP insurance
13%
County Illinois U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 0.6% 1.5% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 13% 25% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Normal

Typical rent in Normal is $965 a month: 4% below the county. In Normal, 58% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of McLean County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,287 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $24.75 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of McLean County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $941 $18.10 $37,640
1 bedroom $996 $19.15 $39,840
2 bedrooms $1,287 $24.75 $51,480
3 bedrooms $1,685 $32.40 $67,400
4 bedrooms $1,691 $32.52 $67,640

Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027

By ZIP code

Fair market rent by ZIP code in Normal

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Normal is in ZIP code 61761.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,240: $47 less than the fair market rent for McLean County ($1,287).

  • 61761 $1,240$1,620

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Normal when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Fiscal year 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Low-income apartments

Low-income apartments in Normal

HUD lists 7 buildings with rents for lower incomes in Normal. These are the largest.

  • Amanda Brooke Apartments 1402 E College Ave, Normal 61761 120 low-income homes · For families (312) 527-4747
  • Briarwood Apts II 100 Northfield Dr, Normal 61761 120 low-income homes · 1 bd: 32 · 2 bd: 56 · 3 bd: 32 · In service since 1994
  • Briarwood Glen Apts 1800 Rockingham Dr, Normal 61761 120 low-income homes · 1 bd: 32 · 2 bd: 56 · 3 bd: 32 · In service since 1995
  • Orlando Northbrook Estates 710 Orlando Ave, Normal 61761 116 low-income homes · For families (309) 454-4144
  • Cottage Apts 1000 S Cottage Ave, Normal 61761 50 low-income homes · 1 bd: 45 · 2 bd: 5 · In service since 2011

See all 27 buildings in McLean County Source: HUD, Retrieved November 6, 2026

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Normal

You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.

There is 1 HUD-approved agency with an office in McLean County; none says it serves in Spanish.

Two women and a girl laugh together at the bus stop.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Normal

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Normal or McLean County. The ones below are statewide in Illinois: they work in Normal the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Illinois

  • IHDAccess Home

    Statewide in Illinois

    Limited funds remain, per the source

    IHDA second loan with deferred payments for first-time buyers in Illinois. Offered by Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA).

    Deferred

    See the program Official page

  • IHDAccess Forgivable

    Statewide in Illinois

    Limited funds remain, per the source

    IHDA second loan forgiven little by little over ten years, for the down payment in Illinois. Offered by Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA).

    Forgivable

    See the program Official page

  • IHDAccess Deferred

    Statewide in Illinois

    Limited funds remain, per the source

    IHDA second loan with no payments until you sell or refinance, for the down payment in Illinois. Offered by Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA).

    Deferred

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near Normal

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Normal, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Mid Central Community Action, Inc.

    1301 W Washington St, Bloomington · 3 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 4 more
    (309) 829-0691

  • Mid Central Community Action of Pontiac

    320 W Madison St, Pontiac · 31 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 4 more
    (815) 844-8812

  • Navicore Solutions- Peoria, IL

    416 Main St, Peoria · 33 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 5 more
    (866) 472-4557

Every agency in McLean County All counseling agencies in Illinois

Help in Spanish near Normal

1 of the 3 agencies on this list says it serves in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of Normal

HUD’s record names them for Normal or McLean County. They run public housing or Section 8 vouchers. Ask whether their waiting list is open.

  • Housing Authority of the County of McLean, Ill. Section 8 vouchers (309) 829-3360

One other authority has an office in McLean County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in McLean County

These cities are also in McLean County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about McLean County Housing in Illinois

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Normal, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If McLean County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in Normal.

All guides
A mother smiles as she carries her young daughter on her shoulders (black and white).

Questions

Housing questions about Normal

Short answers with the numbers for Normal and all of McLean County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.

How much does a typical home cost in Normal?

The typical home value in Normal is $213,600, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in McLean County it is $208,400.

How much does it cost to rent in Normal?

Typical rent in Normal is $965 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in McLean County is $1,287.

What is the FHA loan limit in Normal?

Normal uses the FHA limit for all of McLean County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Normal?

The typical homeowner in Normal pays $4,749 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 2.22% of the home’s value; in McLean County, the rate is 2.17%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Normal?

There is 1 HUD-approved counseling agency with an office in McLean County. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).