In Princeton, a typical home is worth $134,700 and typical rent is $782 a month. Compared with all of Bureau County, typical household income is 11% lower, the typical home value is 6% higher, and the share of households that own their home is 7 points lower.
Typical home value from Zillow, September 2021 to September 2026: from $127,515 to $178,344.
From Zillow (ZHVI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).
Princeton is in Bureau 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 Bureau County. See the county
What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.
1
Nearby, in Kewanee, the typical home value is $73,200: 46% less than in Princeton ($134,700).
2
69% of households in Princeton own their home, against 76% in Bureau County.
3
Princeton has the 27th lowest typical rent of the 331 cities in Illinois with more than 5,000 people ($782).
4
Princeton has the 27th smallest share of rent-burdened renters of the 291 cities in Illinois with more than 5,000 people (35%).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).
The homes here
Housing in Princeton
What homes there are in Princeton, 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
Princeton
Bureau County
Illinois
United States
Kind of home: Princeton and its comparisons
Measure
Princeton
Bureau County
Illinois
United States
Detached house
70%
85%
58%
61%
Attached house
Unreliable estimate
1%
6%
6%
Building of 2 to 4
9%
5%
12%
8%
Apartments (5 or more)
14%
6%
22%
19%
Mobile home
4%
2%
2%
6%
Boat, RV and other
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
0%
0%
Detached houses are the majority in Princeton (70%), but less so than in Bureau County (85%).
Year built
Before 19601960–19791980–19992000–20092010 or laterUnreliable estimate
Princeton
Bureau County
Illinois
United States
Year built: Princeton and its comparisons
Measure
Princeton
Bureau County
Illinois
United States
Before 1960
43%
53%
38%
26%
1960–1979
35%
27%
26%
24%
1980–1999
13%
12%
20%
25%
2000–2009
7%
5%
11%
14%
2010 or later
Unreliable estimate
3%
6%
11%
Homes in Princeton are newer: the typical year built is 1964; in Bureau County, 1958.
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 $100K31%
$100K–$200K47%
$200K–$300K16%
$300K–$500K5%
$500K–$750KUnreliable
FHA limit: $541,287
$750K–$1MUnreliable
$1M or moreUnreliable
Value of owner-occupied homes: Princeton and its comparisons
Measure
Princeton
Under $100K
31%
$100K–$200K
47%
$200K–$300K
16%
$300K–$500K
5%
$500K–$750K
Unreliable estimate
$750K–$1M
Unreliable estimate
$1M or more
Unreliable
With an FHA limit of $541,287, at least 99% of owner-occupied homes in Princeton sit below it: they are worth less than $500,000.
Monthly rent with utilities
Under the limitOver the limitUnreliable estimate
Under $50019%
$500–$99960%
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms: $981
$1,000–$1,49918%
$1,500–$1,999Unreliable
$2,000–$2,499Unreliable
$2,500–$2,999Unreliable
$3,000 or moreUnreliable
Monthly rent with utilities: Princeton and its comparisons
Measure
Princeton
Under $500
19%
$500–$999
60%
$1,000–$1,499
18%
$1,500–$1,999
Unreliable estimate
$2,000–$2,499
Unreliable
$2,500–$2,999
Unreliable
$3,000 or more
Unreliable estimate
About 77% of rented homes in Princeton cost less than HUD's 2-bedroom fair market rent for Bureau County ($981).
With a mortgage
$1,161 a month
Bureau County: $1,234 a month
Without a mortgage
$585 a month
Bureau County: $591 a month
Owners with a mortgage
58%
Bureau County: 54%
The typical cost for an owner with a mortgage in Princeton is $1,161 a month, less than in Bureau County ($1,234); without one, $585.
How it changed
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024
Change since 2015–2019
Typical home value
PrincetonNo clear change
Bureau County+14%
Illinois+35%
United States+53%
Typical rent
Princeton+20%
Bureau County+22%
Illinois+26%
United States+33%
Typical household income
Princeton+16%
Bureau County+21%
Illinois+27%
United States+29%
Change since 2015–2019: Princeton and its comparisons
Measure
Princeton
Bureau County
Illinois
United States
Typical home value
No clear change
+14%
+35%
+53%
Typical rent
+20%
+22%
+26%
+33%
Typical household income
+16%
+21%
+27%
+29%
The typical home value in Princeton stayed about the same since 2015–2019: the Census sees no clear change.
Much as in Bureau County, the typical rent in Princeton rose 20% since 2015–2019.
How people live
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
How people live: Princeton and its comparisons
Measure
Princeton
Bureau County
Illinois
United States
Rental vacancy
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
5.0%
5.5%
Homeowner vacancy
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
1.0%
0.9%
More than one person per room
Unreliable estimate
1.3%
2.5%
3.4%
People per household
2.13
2.31
2.46
2.53
Drive alone
72%
80%
66%
69%
Carpool
13%
11%
8%
9%
Public transit
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
6%
3%
Walk or bike
Unreliable estimate
3%
3%
3%
Work from home
7%
5%
16%
15%
Other means
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
1%
2%
Typical commute
10 to 19 minutes
10 to 19 minutes
20 to 29 minutes
20 to 29 minutes
Fewer people live in each home here: 2.13 on average, against 2.31 in Bureau County.
To get to work, 72% of workers in Princeton drive alone; in Bureau County, 80%.
Do the math
What would you pay each month for a home in Princeton?
A typical home is within reach of the typical income
We start with a typical home in Princeton, worth $134,700, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 24% of the typical household income in Princeton, which is $61,946 a year.
The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Bureau 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 Princeton. 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 $4,715 (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
$1,225
at 7.18% · 30 years
Loan amount
$132,260
Total interest
$190,291
Paid off in
November 2056
Includes $2,275 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.
Does it fit the income?
Comfortable
up to $1,445 a month
Your payment · 24%
Tight
$1,445 to $1,858 a month
Hard
more than $1,858 a month
Compared with the typical household income in Princeton ($61,946 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.
Monthly payment breakdown
Principal & interest
$896
Property tax
$213
Home insurance
$56
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)
$60
You need at least $4,715 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 $1,225; principal and interest $896.
The city and its county
Princeton and Bureau County
Princeton is in Bureau 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).
Princeton
Map of Bureau County, Illinois, with Princeton marked. Around it, the neighboring counties.
Princeton
Bureau County
Other cities with a page
Princeton's own numbers
Typical home value
$134,700
Typical monthly rent
$782
Typical yearly household income
$61,946
Households that own their home
69%
Effective property tax rate
1.9%
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).
Numbers for all of Bureau County
FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$981
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+45%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
1.4%
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 Bureau County.
A typical home in Princeton is worth $134,700: 6% above the county and 49% below Illinois. With the typical household income in Princeton ($61,946 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.
Princeton2.2 years
Bureau1.8 years
Illinois3.2 years
United States4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024
How prices have changed in Bureau County
According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Bureau County rose 52% in the 10 years through 2025.
FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Bureau County.
Yearly change in FHFA’s price index in Bureau County, 2016 to 2025
2016: −2.1% −2.1% 2016
2017: +3.8% +3.8% 2017
2018: −1.9% −1.9% 2018
2019: +7.1% +7.1% 2019
2020: −1.8% −1.8% 2020
2021: +9.2% +9.2% 2021
2022: +12.5% +12.5% 2022
2023: +5.9% +5.9% 2023
2024: +6.9% +6.9% 2024
2025: +4.1% +4.1% 2025
Change in FHFA’s price index in Bureau County, Illinois and the United States
Period
County
Illinois
U.S.
Last year (2025)
+4.1%
+5.7%
+2.9%
5 years (2020–2025)
+45%
+47%
+47%
10 years (2015–2025)
+52%
+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
Princeton next to Bureau 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
Princeton$134,700
Bureau$126,900
Illinois$263,300
United States$332,700
Typical monthly rent
Princeton$782
Bureau$832
Illinois$1,274
United States$1,413
Typical yearly household income
Princeton$61,946
Bureau$69,257
Illinois$83,390
United States$80,734
See the full table
Princeton next to Bureau County and Illinois
Measure
Princeton
Bureau County
Illinois
U.S.
Typical home value
$134,700 ▲6% above the county
$126,900
$263,300
$332,700
Typical monthly rent
$782 ▼6% below the county
$832
$1,274
$1,413
Typical yearly household income
$61,946 ▼11% below the county
$69,257
$83,390
$80,734
Households that own their home
69% ▼7 points below the county
76%
67%
65%
Typical yearly property tax
$2,556
$2,548
$5,298
$3,119
Effective property tax rate
1.9% ▼0.11 points below the county
2.01%
2.01%
0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income
35% ▲2 points above the county
34%
48%
51%
“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Bureau 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 Princeton
For a typical $134,700 home in Princeton, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Princeton's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.
FHA, 3.5% down$1,225a month
Least cash to close
Down payment
$4,715
Cash to close
$8,756
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
FHA MIP · $60
Conventional, 5% down$1,200a month
Down payment
$6,735
Cash to close
$10,776
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
PMI · $64
Conventional, 20% down, no PMI$999a month
Down payment
$26,940
Cash to close
$30,981
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
None
ITIN, 15% down (example)$1,124a month
Down payment
$20,205
Cash to close
$24,246
Rate
8.18%
Mortgage insurance
None
Four ways to pay for a typical home in Princeton
Loan
Monthly payment
Down payment
Loan amount
Rate
Mortgage insurance
Cash to close
Minimum score
FHA, 3.5% down Least cash to close
$1,225
$4,715
$132,260
7.18%
FHA MIP · $60
$8,756
580
Conventional, 5% down
$1,200
$6,735
$127,965
7.18%
PMI · $64
$10,776
620*
Conventional, 20% down, no PMI
$999
$26,940
$107,760
7.18%
None
$30,981
620*
ITIN, 15% down (example)
$1,124
$20,205
$114,495
8.18%
None
$24,246
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 Princeton is $782 a month: 6% below the county. In Princeton, 35% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.
HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Bureau County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($981 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $18.87 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 Bureau County (Fiscal year 2027)
Size
Fair rent a month
Hourly wage
Yearly income
Studio
$683
$13.13
$27,320
1 bedroom
$750
$14.42
$30,000
2 bedrooms
$981
$18.87
$39,240
3 bedrooms
$1,217
$23.40
$48,680
4 bedrooms
$1,352
$26.00
$54,080
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 Princeton
HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Princeton is in ZIP code 61356.
For 2 bedrooms it is $940: $41 less than the fair market rent for Bureau County ($981).
Fair market rent by ZIP code and size in Princeton, fiscal year 2027.
ZIP code
Studio
1 bd
2 bd
3 bd
4 bd
61356
$650
$720
$940
$1,160
$1,290
ZIP code2 bd3 bd
61356 $940$1,160
1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Princeton 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 3 buildings with rents for lower incomes in Princeton. These are the largest.
Spring Valley Hi-Rise444 S Church St, Princeton 61356254 homes, 249 low-income · Run by Bureau County Housing Authority · Average payment: $374 a month · Average wait: 5 months(815) 879-8106
Princeton Senior Housing351 Coleita Ct, Princeton 6135650 homes, 32 low-income · 1 bd: 32 · In service since 1999 · For older adults, people with disabilities
Princeton - Clark House500 S Main St, Princeton 6135630 low-income homes · For families(815) 879-8106
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 Bureau 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 Princeton or Bureau County. The ones below are statewide in Illinois: they work in Princeton 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 Princeton or Bureau 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 Princeton and all of Bureau 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 Princeton?
The typical home value in Princeton is $134,700, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Bureau County it is $126,900.
How much does it cost to rent in Princeton?
Typical rent in Princeton is $782 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Bureau County is $981.
What is the FHA loan limit in Princeton?
Princeton uses the FHA limit for all of Bureau 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 Princeton?
The typical homeowner in Princeton pays $2,556 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.9% of the home’s value; in Bureau County, the rate is 2.01%.
Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Princeton?
We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Bureau County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.
