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City · 5,796 residents · Fayette County, Illinois

Vandalia , Illinois

In Vandalia, a typical home is worth $98,500 and typical rent is $778 a month. Compared with all of Fayette County, typical household income is 25% lower, the typical home value is 25% lower, and the share of households that own their home is 14 points lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $98,500

    25% below the county

    63% below Illinois

    • Vandalia
    • Fayette
    • Illinois

  • Typical rent

    $778a month

    3% below the county

    39% below Illinois

    • Vandalia
    • Fayette
    • Illinois

  • Typical household income

    $45,469a year

    25% below the county

    45% below Illinois

    • Vandalia
    • Fayette
    • Illinois

  • Households that own their home

    67%

    14 points below the county

    1 points below Illinois

    • Vandalia
    • Fayette
    • Illinois

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

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$132,808
2.6% less than 12 months ago

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

Vandalia is in Fayette 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 Fayette County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Vandalia apart

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

  1. Vandalia has the 10th lowest typical household income of the 337 cities in Illinois with more than 5,000 people ($45,469).

  2. According to Zillow, in the 12 months to September 2026 the typical home value in Vandalia fell 2.6%; in Illinois, it rose 5.3%.

  3. 67% of households in Vandalia own their home, against 81% in Fayette County.

  4. Nearby, in Pana, the typical home value is $77,900: 21% less than in Vandalia ($98,500).

  5. The typical home in Vandalia is worth $98,500, 25% less than in Fayette County as a whole ($130,700).

  6. Vandalia has the 26th lowest typical rent of the 331 cities in Illinois with more than 5,000 people ($778).

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

The homes here

Housing in Vandalia

What homes there are in Vandalia, 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

The detached house is still the most common home in Vandalia, but it weighs less than in Fayette County: 75% against 80%.

Year built

The typical home in Vandalia was built in 1955, 17 years before the typical one in Fayette 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
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$1,006 a month

Fayette County: $1,192 a month

Without a mortgage

$427 a month

Fayette County: $500 a month

Owners with a mortgage

47%

Fayette County: 46%

The typical cost for an owner with a mortgage in Vandalia is $1,006 a month, less than in Fayette County ($1,192); without one, $427.

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

From 2015–2019 to 2020–2024, the typical home value in Vandalia rose 18%; in Fayette County, it rose 48%.

Rents in Vandalia rose more slowly than in Fayette County: 25% since 2015–2019, against 30%.

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

MeasureVandaliaFayette CountyIllinoisUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate12.4%5.0%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1.0%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate3.2%2.5%3.4%
People per household 2.322.602.462.53
Drive alone 82%79%66%69%
Carpool Unreliable estimate10%8%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate6%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate2%3%3%
Work from home Unreliable estimate7%16%15%
Other means Unreliable estimateUnreliable estimate1%2%
Typical commute Unreliable estimate20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

Households in Vandalia are smaller: 2.32 people on average; in Fayette County, 2.60.

To get to work, 82% of workers in Vandalia drive alone; in Fayette County, 79%.

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 Vandalia?

A typical home is within reach of the typical income

We start with a typical home in Vandalia, worth $98,500, 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 Vandalia, which is $45,469 a year.

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

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Vandalia. 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 $3,448 (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

$898

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$96,715
Total interest
$139,151
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $1,663 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,061 a month

    Your payment · 24%

  • Tight

    $1,061 to $1,364 a month

  • Hard

    more than $1,364 a month

Compared with the typical household income in Vandalia ($45,469 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$898
Principal & interest$655
Property tax$158
Home insurance$41
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$44

You need at least $3,448 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

Vandalia and Fayette County

Vandalia is in Fayette 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).

Vandalia's own numbers

Typical home value
$98,500
Typical monthly rent
$778
Typical yearly household income
$45,469
Households that own their home
67%
Effective property tax rate
1.93%

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

Numbers for all of Fayette County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$930
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+33%

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 Fayette County.

Everything about Fayette County

Buying

Buying a home in Vandalia

A typical home in Vandalia is worth $98,500: 25% below the county and 63% below Illinois. With the typical household income in Vandalia ($45,469 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.

  • Vandalia 2.2 years
  • Fayette 2.1 years
  • Illinois 3.2 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Fayette County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Fayette County rose 41% in the 10 years through 2025.

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

Period County Illinois U.S.
Last year (2025) −3.7% +5.7% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +33% +47% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +41% +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

Vandalia next to Fayette 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
  • Vandalia $98,500
  • Fayette $130,700
  • Illinois $263,300
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Vandalia $778
  • Fayette $798
  • Illinois $1,274
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Vandalia $45,469
  • Fayette $60,944
  • Illinois $83,390
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Vandalia next to Fayette County and Illinois
Measure Vandalia Fayette County Illinois U.S.
Typical home value $98,500 $130,700 $263,300 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $778 $798 $1,274 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $45,469 $60,944 $83,390 $80,734
Households that own their home 67% 81% 67% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $1,897 $1,894 $5,298 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 1.93% 1.45% 2.01% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 48% 52% 48% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Fayette 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 Vandalia

For a typical $98,500 home in Vandalia, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Vandalia's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $898a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $3,448
    Cash to close
    $6,403
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $44

  • Conventional, 5% down $880a month

    Down payment
    $4,925
    Cash to close
    $7,880
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $47

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $733a month

    Down payment
    $19,700
    Cash to close
    $22,655
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $824a month

    Down payment
    $14,775
    Cash to close
    $17,730
    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 Vandalia and for Fayette County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Vandalia

1.93%of the home’s value each year

$1,897 a year for the typical owner in Vandalia.

  • Vandalia 1.93%
  • Fayette 1.45%
  • Illinois 2.01%

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

Exemptions and deadlines in Illinois

Flood risk in Fayette County

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

FEMA’s maps count no homes in the high-risk zone in Fayette County. That does not mean it cannot flood: check your address.

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Vandalia

Typical rent in Vandalia is $778 a month: 3% below the county. In Vandalia, 48% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Fayette County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($930 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $17.88 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Fayette 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 $724 $13.92 $28,960
1 bedroom $728 $14.00 $29,120
2 bedrooms $930 $17.88 $37,200
3 bedrooms $1,213 $23.33 $48,520
4 bedrooms $1,350 $25.96 $54,000

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 Vandalia

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Vandalia is in ZIP code 62471.

For 2 bedrooms it is $930: the same as the fair market rent for Fayette County.

  • 62471 $930$1,210

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Vandalia 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 Vandalia

HUD lists 3 buildings with rents for lower incomes in Vandalia. These are the largest.

  • Capitol Pointe Apts 2415 W Randolph St, Vandalia 62471 42 low-income homes · 2 bd: 32 · 3 bd: 10 · In service since 2003 · For families
  • Country Place Apts (VANDALIA) 929 W Johnson St, Vandalia 62471 32 low-income homes · 1 bd: 15 · 2 bd: 17 · In service since 1994
  • Vandalia-Country Place Apartments 925 W Edwards St, Vandalia 62471 32 homes, 8 low-income · For families (815) 282-0022

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

Free help

Help to buy or rent in Vandalia

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 Fayette County; none says it serves in Spanish.

An older man and his daughter go over papers with a professional.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Vandalia

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Vandalia or Fayette County. The ones below are statewide in Illinois: they work in Vandalia 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 Vandalia

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

  • C.e.f.s. Fayette County Outreach Office

    517 W. Gallatin Street, Vandalia · 1 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 8 more
    (618) 283-2631

  • C.e.f.s. Economic Opportunity Corporation

    1805 S Banker St, Effingham · 32 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 4 more
    (217) 342-2193

  • C.e.f.s. Effingham County Outreach Office

    1010 W Jefferson Ave, Effingham · 32 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 8 more
    (217) 347-7514

Every agency in Fayette County All counseling agencies in Illinois

Help in Spanish near Vandalia

None of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve 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 Vandalia

HUD lists no housing authority with an office in Fayette County. One in a neighboring county or the state’s may serve the area.

All housing agencies in Illinois Source: HUD

Cities

Nearby cities

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

Everything about Fayette County Housing in Illinois

Neighboring counties

If Fayette 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 Vandalia.

All guides
A mother and her daughters smile together on a mountain trail with a snowy peak behind them.

Questions

Housing questions about Vandalia

Short answers with the numbers for Vandalia and all of Fayette 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 Vandalia?

The typical home value in Vandalia is $98,500, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Fayette County it is $130,700.

How much does it cost to rent in Vandalia?

Typical rent in Vandalia is $778 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Fayette County is $930.

What is the FHA loan limit in Vandalia?

Vandalia uses the FHA limit for all of Fayette 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 Vandalia?

The typical homeowner in Vandalia pays $1,897 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.93% of the home’s value; in Fayette County, the rate is 1.45%.

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

There is 1 HUD-approved counseling agency with an office in Fayette 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).