City · 18,447 residents · LaSalle County, Illinois
Ottawa, Illinois
In Ottawa, a typical home is worth $154,000 and typical rent is $920 a month. Home values, rent and income are very close to those of all of LaSalle County.
Typical home value from Zillow, September 2021 to September 2026: from $159,504 to $216,491.
Typical rent
$1,238a month
Typical rent from Zillow, March 2026 to September 2026: from $1,214 to $1,238.
From Zillow (ZHVI/ZORI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).
Ottawa is in LaSalle 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 LaSalle County. See the county
What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.
1
Nearby, in Streator, the typical home value is $94,700: 39% less than in Ottawa ($154,000).
2
Nearby, in Mendota, the typical rent is $773: 16% less than in Ottawa ($920).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).
The homes here
Housing in Ottawa
What homes there are in Ottawa, 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
Detached houseAttached houseBuilding of 2 to 4Apartments (5 or more)Mobile homeBoat, RV and otherUnreliable estimate
Ottawa
LaSalle County
Illinois
United States
Kind of home: Ottawa and its comparisons
Measure
Ottawa
LaSalle County
Illinois
United States
Detached house
70%
79%
58%
61%
Attached house
9%
3%
6%
6%
Building of 2 to 4
10%
8%
12%
8%
Apartments (5 or more)
11%
6%
22%
19%
Mobile home
Unreliable estimate
4%
2%
6%
Boat, RV and other
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
0%
0%
Detached houses are the majority in Ottawa (70%), but less so than in LaSalle County (79%).
Year built
Before 19601960–19791980–19992000–20092010 or later
Ottawa
LaSalle County
Illinois
United States
Year built: Ottawa and its comparisons
Measure
Ottawa
LaSalle County
Illinois
United States
Before 1960
53%
47%
38%
26%
1960–1979
16%
23%
26%
24%
1980–1999
14%
17%
20%
25%
2000–2009
12%
10%
11%
14%
2010 or later
5%
4%
6%
11%
The typical home in Ottawa was built in 1958, 5 years before the typical one in LaSalle County.
What it costs here
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
Value of owner-occupied homes
Under the limitOver the limitUnreliable estimate
Under $100K18%
$100K–$200K51%
$200K–$300K23%
$300K–$500K8%
$500K–$750KUnreliable
FHA limit: $541,287
$750K–$1MUnreliable
$1M or moreUnreliable
Value of owner-occupied homes: Ottawa and its comparisons
Measure
Ottawa
Under $100K
18%
$100K–$200K
51%
$200K–$300K
23%
$300K–$500K
8%
$500K–$750K
Unreliable estimate
$750K–$1M
Unreliable estimate
$1M or more
Unreliable estimate
At least 99% of owner-occupied homes in Ottawa are worth less than $500,000, below the FHA loan limit for LaSalle County ($541,287).
Monthly rent with utilities
Under the limitOver the limitUnreliable estimate
Under $50013%
$500–$99953%
$1,000–$1,49930%
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms: $1,052
$1,500–$1,999Unreliable
$2,000–$2,499Unreliable
$2,500–$2,999Unreliable
$3,000 or moreUnreliable
Monthly rent with utilities: Ottawa and its comparisons
Measure
Ottawa
Under $500
13%
$500–$999
53%
$1,000–$1,499
30%
$1,500–$1,999
Unreliable estimate
$2,000–$2,499
Unreliable estimate
$2,500–$2,999
Unreliable estimate
$3,000 or more
Unreliable estimate
By rent, most homes in Ottawa cost less than HUD's 2-bedroom fair market rent ($1,052): about 68%.
With a mortgage
$1,469 a month
LaSalle County: $1,476 a month
Without a mortgage
$657 a month
LaSalle County: $624 a month
Owners with a mortgage
65%
LaSalle County: 54%
In Ottawa, 65% of owners have a mortgage; their typical cost is $1,469 a month, about the same as in LaSalle County.
How it changed
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024
Change since 2015–2019
Typical home value
Ottawa+20%
LaSalle County+27%
Illinois+35%
United States+53%
Typical rent
Ottawa+12%
LaSalle County+19%
Illinois+26%
United States+33%
Typical household income
Ottawa+39%
LaSalle County+26%
Illinois+27%
United States+29%
Change since 2015–2019: Ottawa and its comparisons
Measure
Ottawa
LaSalle County
Illinois
United States
Typical home value
+20%
+27%
+35%
+53%
Typical rent
+12%
+19%
+26%
+33%
Typical household income
+39%
+26%
+27%
+29%
Homes in Ottawa gained value more slowly than in LaSalle County: 20% since 2015–2019, against 27%.
The typical rent in Ottawa rose 12% over the same time; in LaSalle County, it rose 19%.
Here income gained ground: typical income rose 39%, against +20% for home values and +12% for rent.
How people live
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
How people live: Ottawa and its comparisons
Measure
Ottawa
LaSalle County
Illinois
United States
Rental vacancy
Unreliable estimate
3.9%
5.0%
5.5%
Homeowner vacancy
Unreliable estimate
1.2%
1.0%
0.9%
More than one person per room
Unreliable estimate
1.7%
2.5%
3.4%
People per household
2.39
2.33
2.46
2.53
Drive alone
82%
83%
66%
69%
Carpool
10%
8%
8%
9%
Public transit
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
6%
3%
Walk or bike
Unreliable estimate
2%
3%
3%
Work from home
5%
5%
16%
15%
Other means
Unreliable estimate
1%
1%
2%
Typical commute
10 to 19 minutes
Unreliable estimate
20 to 29 minutes
20 to 29 minutes
Much as in LaSalle County, a household in Ottawa has 2.39 people on average.
To get to work, 82% of workers in Ottawa drive alone; in LaSalle County, 83%.
Do the math
What would you pay each month for a home in Ottawa?
A typical home is within reach of the typical income
We start with a typical home in Ottawa, worth $154,000, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 25% of the typical household income in Ottawa, which is $71,413 a year.
The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of LaSalle County.
Change the price, the down payment or the loan: the payment updates right away.
Your numbers
Local data
$
Starts at the typical home value in Ottawa. Change it to the price you have in mind.
Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.
Down payment
%
That is $5,390 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.
This week's average ± a quarter or half point.
National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.
Adjust advanced details⌄
Estimated monthly payment
Local data
$1,490
at 7.18% · 30 years
Loan amount
$151,211
Total interest
$217,557
Paid off in
November 2056
Includes $2,601 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.
Does it fit the income?
Comfortable
up to $1,666 a month
Your payment · 25%
Tight
$1,666 to $2,142 a month
Hard
more than $2,142 a month
Compared with the typical household income in Ottawa ($71,413 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.
Monthly payment breakdown
Principal & interest
$1,024
Property tax
$334
Home insurance
$64
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)
$68
You need at least $5,390 for the down payment, plus closing costs.
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.
Total monthly payment $1,490; principal and interest $1,024.
The city and its county
Ottawa and LaSalle County
Ottawa is in LaSalle 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).
Ottawa
Map of LaSalle County, Illinois, with Ottawa marked. Around it, the neighboring counties.
Ottawa
LaSalle County
Other cities with a page
Ottawa's own numbers
Typical home value
$154,000
Typical monthly rent
$920
Typical yearly household income
$71,413
Households that own their home
70%
Effective property tax rate
2.6%
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).
Numbers for all of LaSalle County
FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,052
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+52%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
1.6%
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 LaSalle County.
A typical home in Ottawa is worth $154,000: 5% below the county and 42% below Illinois. With the typical household income in Ottawa ($71,413 a year), a typical home costs 2.2 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.
Ottawa2.2 years
LaSalle2.2 years
Illinois3.2 years
United States4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024
How prices have changed in LaSalle County
According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in LaSalle County rose 71% in the 10 years through 2025.
FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of LaSalle County.
Yearly change in FHFA’s price index in LaSalle County, 2016 to 2025
2016: +2.5% +2.5% 2016
2017: +1.0% +1.0% 2017
2018: +3.6% +3.6% 2018
2019: +4.2% +4.2% 2019
2020: +1.1% +1.1% 2020
2021: +8.6% +8.6% 2021
2022: +11.1% +11.1% 2022
2023: +7.8% +7.8% 2023
2024: +8.0% +8.0% 2024
2025: +8.1% +8.1% 2025
Change in FHFA’s price index in LaSalle County, Illinois and the United States
Period
County
Illinois
U.S.
Last year (2025)
+8.1%
+5.7%
+2.9%
5 years (2020–2025)
+52%
+47%
+47%
10 years (2015–2025)
+71%
+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
Ottawa next to LaSalle 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
Ottawa$154,000
LaSalle$161,900
Illinois$263,300
United States$332,700
Typical monthly rent
Ottawa$920
LaSalle$928
Illinois$1,274
United States$1,413
Typical yearly household income
Ottawa$71,413
LaSalle$73,045
Illinois$83,390
United States$80,734
See the full table
Ottawa next to LaSalle County and Illinois
Measure
Ottawa
LaSalle County
Illinois
U.S.
Typical home value
$154,000 ▼5% below the county
$161,900
$263,300
$332,700
Typical monthly rent
$920
$928
$1,274
$1,413
Typical yearly household income
$71,413 ▼2% below the county
$73,045
$83,390
$80,734
Households that own their home
70% ▼5 points below the county
74%
67%
65%
Typical yearly property tax
$4,011 ▲17% above the county
$3,418
$5,298
$3,119
Effective property tax rate
2.6% ▲0.49 points above the county
2.11%
2.01%
0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income
49% ▲6 points above the county
43%
48%
51%
“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below LaSalle 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 Ottawa
For a typical $154,000 home in Ottawa, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Ottawa's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.
FHA, 3.5% down$1,490a month
Least cash to close
Down payment
$5,390
Cash to close
$10,010
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
FHA MIP · $68
Conventional, 5% down$1,462a month
Down payment
$7,700
Cash to close
$12,320
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
PMI · $73
Conventional, 20% down, no PMI$1,232a month
Down payment
$30,800
Cash to close
$35,420
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
None
ITIN, 15% down (example)$1,375a month
Down payment
$23,100
Cash to close
$27,720
Rate
8.18%
Mortgage insurance
None
Four ways to pay for a typical home in Ottawa
Loan
Monthly payment
Down payment
Loan amount
Rate
Mortgage insurance
Cash to close
Minimum score
FHA, 3.5% down Least cash to close
$1,490
$5,390
$151,211
7.18%
FHA MIP · $68
$10,010
580
Conventional, 5% down
$1,462
$7,700
$146,300
7.18%
PMI · $73
$12,320
620*
Conventional, 20% down, no PMI
$1,232
$30,800
$123,200
7.18%
None
$35,420
620*
ITIN, 15% down (example)
$1,375
$23,100
$130,900
8.18%
None
$27,720
Set by the lender
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.
Typical rent in Ottawa is $920 a month: about the same as the county. In Ottawa, 49% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.
HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of LaSalle County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,052 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $20.23 an hour working full time.
What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.
HUD fair market rent in LaSalle County (Fiscal year 2027)
Size
Fair rent a month
Hourly wage
Yearly income
Studio
$733
$14.10
$29,320
1 bedroom
$804
$15.46
$32,160
2 bedrooms
$1,052
$20.23
$42,080
3 bedrooms
$1,369
$26.33
$54,760
4 bedrooms
$1,688
$32.46
$67,520
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 Ottawa
HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Ottawa is in ZIP code 61350.
For 2 bedrooms it is $1,070: $18 more than the fair market rent for LaSalle County ($1,052).
Fair market rent by ZIP code and size in Ottawa, fiscal year 2027.
ZIP code
Studio
1 bd
2 bd
3 bd
4 bd
61350
$750
$820
$1,070
$1,390
$1,720
ZIP code2 bd3 bd
61350 $1,070$1,390
1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Ottawa 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 2027Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (external site)Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship fileData from 2020 dataCensus Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (external site)
HUD lists 6 buildings with rents for lower incomes in Ottawa. These are the largest.
D. B. Ravlin Center400 E Washington St, Ottawa 61350344 homes, 342 low-income · Run by Housing Authority for LaSalle County · Average payment: $357 a month · Average wait: 9 months(815) 434-0380
Woodcrest Apartments1410 Dakota Dr, Ottawa 6135092 low-income homes · For families(815) 434-0444
Ottawa Senior Housing400 Jim Thomas Cir, Ottawa 6135062 homes, 60 low-income · 1 bd: 49 · 2 bd: 13 · In service since 2013
Turnberry Court Apts2811 Champlain St, Ottawa 6135060 low-income homes · 1 bd: 24 · 2 bd: 24 · 3 bd: 12 · In service since 2005 · For families
Anthony Place Ottawa717 W Clinton ST, Ottawa 6135056 low-income homes · In service since 2020
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.
We found no HUD-approved agencies with an office in LaSalle County. The nearest ones are below; many serve by phone or online.
No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Ottawa or LaSalle County. The ones below are statewide in Illinois: they work in Ottawa the same as in the rest of the state.
IHDA second loan with no payments until you sell or refinance, for the down payment in Illinois.Offered by Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA).
No legal help resource on our list is for Ottawa or LaSalle County in particular.
If you have a problem with your landlord, an eviction notice or a scam, the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) search shows the free legal aid offices that serve your area.
Short answers with the numbers for Ottawa and all of LaSalle 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 Ottawa?
The typical home value in Ottawa is $154,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in LaSalle County it is $161,900.
How much does it cost to rent in Ottawa?
Typical rent in Ottawa is $920 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in LaSalle County is $1,052.
What is the FHA loan limit in Ottawa?
Ottawa uses the FHA limit for all of LaSalle 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 Ottawa?
The typical homeowner in Ottawa pays $4,011 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 2.6% of the home’s value; in LaSalle County, the rate is 2.11%.
Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Ottawa?
We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in LaSalle County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.
