Cheap AND Safe Places in Illinois
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ต.ค. 2024
- High gas prices, inflation, shrinking package sizes...these things are all impacting Americans, but it's worse in some parts of the country. In the dense, metropolitan cities in the U.S., costs were expensive to begin with, and that's exactly what you see in Chicago. The city dwellers deal with high taxes and an inflated cost of living regularly, but elsewhere in the state of Illinois, the cost of living is much lower. For those who are looking for a place to live that is both affordable and has a low crime rate, you've come to the right place. In this video, we're looking at nine Illinois communities that are cheap and safe.
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The Rural Development program from the USDA can help people buy a home in the rural parts of the US, with little to no money down. Information can be found here: rdhomeloans.usda.gov/about.html
Also, if you're interested in cheap and safe communities in other states, you might like these videos:
Indiana: th-cam.com/video/pGFUUrmgjTU/w-d-xo.html
Missouri: th-cam.com/video/o8-3YD6PgGo/w-d-xo.html
Colorado: th-cam.com/video/BiOVkL9ETQs/w-d-xo.html
Letting people know this is a real public service
Thank you 👍
I been to Chester about 3 times i really love the town. Showed different family this town and one twice due to didnt see the newer statues that was placed so went a 2nd time. With my mom and Niece. Their Place to eat is a cool cheap buffet, also there is a Fort nearby that looks like a form of a fort/castle look and also Modoc Rock Shelter have to google for directions. Also there is the 1st i think College in Shiloh Hill. Of IL also Kaskaskia is not far either, also the First Govenors house is also not far either. A really lovely town. One of my top 11 or so spots in IL i really enjoy. Far as towns its top 3 or 4.
also i bought a Whimpy and Peopeye stuffed at the Spinach Can Collectibles.
Finally, a video about best places to live in ILLNOIS that doesn't solely focus on the CHICAGO area. Good job!
Glad you liked it!
Chicago is a trash city...
You mean a video that is actually somewhat positive lol
I love rural Illinois but I think the reason these places are so cheap is because there are so few jobs and amenities.
Exactly. Cheap to live there usually means no reason to live there.
Yeah rural areas have a tendency to not mention that in their brochures.
There are plenty of jobs. A lot of people travel from Wisconsin to work in Illinois.
@@bamboozledgreatcrowd8982 in Chicagoland.
@@slidecontrol134 Yep. Chicagoland itself is actually growing and experiencing an influx of wealthier people; the area is transitioning from a blue-collar to white-collar dominated economy. I had family in Naperville since the 90s and it hasn't stopped growing since I was a young child. But Illinois itself is losing people every year.
Getting out of Chicago and going into these rural towns is like a breath of fresh air. I love the houses and small town look and feel. We recently stayed in Effingham for a couple of days and I seriously didn't want to go back to the city. Lol.
As an Illinois resident I appreciate what you are trying to do. However, you need more than just statistics. Visit the places. 5 of the locations you listed are absolutely unsafe, dying towns. You may be able to buy a cheap house there but you’ll never be able to sell it. And you’ll get next to no public services for your tax dollars.
I've been to every one of these places.
@@StuckInTheKernfield No mention of Lanford, Illinois in this video? Why not?
@rockyzrockyx917 I hear it's really gone downhill since Roseanne died.
Some of you people say that Illinois is bad, but if the truth was to be told there's good and bad places everywhere in the United States you jus have to see for your self. Im from Illinois born and raised now I currently live in orange park Florida. Im ready to come back home for one reason its too dam hot. I love florida but i think this state is good for visiting not moving.
I'm raised in Illinois, too. Now I live in beautiful Idaho. I would never go back!
Exactly.
Yep you’re right! I live in the metro east, and where I live it’s safe. I’m from Mississippi, and we have plenty of high crime areas In the state. From what I noticed, these people think that the governor is responsible for the crime rate in Illinois. But in Mississippi, they don’t blame the governor tho. Even tho the crime rate is higher (mainly homicides are doubled than what they are in Illinois)
I'm from California and in June 2024 I'm moving to Chicago. I love Chicago.
Facts. I've been here all my life.
You do super work .
Upbeat and to the point .
Really enjoyed time spent in. Rock Falls,
Sterling and Dixon and other areas.
Even w higher property taxes homes still look very affordable .
The only idea I may have is when going over these top 9 or 10 is to maybe go into more details on employment . If it’s manufacturing maybe mention the name of top employers , how many maybe work there and what they do …
I know. Some towns are too small for that !!
Just an idea !
Thanks for the Great Work : )
Got my education in Illinois. Moved to California for senior year. Took chemistry and physics same year. Teacher said I was the first one to do that. Illinois education in the 60a and 70s was the best.
It still is! Particularly at the high school level
California has some of the worst schools in the nation. Illinois has many of the best.
I can’t describe my obsession with this topic. I am a Google Earth and Zillow addict. I’m not sure if it’s a hobby, a fantasy about moving somewhere new, or considering a place to retire to. I would love to see more videos like this. This video got an automatic like and subscribe from me, for sure!
Like to Florida!
Same! It’s nice reading a comment I can relate to.
I do this a few times a year. Maybe this time I'll actually move
Would be interested in a series like this, starting with states bordering Illinois
If I lived in eastern Illinois, I would move to Indiana. If I lived in Western Illinois, I would move to Iowa.
Iowa would be an awesome place to just die. But with all their problems with education, a bad place to raise a family.
@@chuckinhouston9952 if I lived anywhere in Iowa or Indiana I would move to Illinois. Same goes for Missouri Wisconsin and Kentucky.
I've lived in Illinois my whole life and I love it here. I live right on the state line near Wisconsin and I love the Four Seasons in the midwest. I grew up in Rockford in the 60s and 70s and it was a great place to live. Now the crime is pretty bad. So I have moved out of Rockford into Machesney Park and I'm very happy here.
Moved from the Chicago suburbs to Sterling, which sits directly next to Rock Falls, and I have not looked back. It is so peaceful out here.
Warriors and the rockets!
Sterling seems better than a lot of these places, actually. The Quad Cities, Rockford, and even the western edge of Chicago suburbs are all reachable in a bit over an hour.
Small town Indiana offers all the plusses of small town Illinois without the openly corrupt socialist politics of Cook County dominated Illinois. You want to keep your 2A rights? Move to Indiana.
I grew up around Spring Valley and Mendota. They are pretty downtrodden. Yeah, they're affordable. You get what you pay for.
And most of your shopping will be a 20 mile drive down to the river.
Most of these small towns have no hospital or access to basic healthcare. It’s a problem across rural Illinois.
Great see other parts of Illinois besides Chicagoland amazing video great work👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
I really like your videos. I need to move to Illinois to be closer to my grandchild and I was told Dixon was a good place to check out. Would you agree? Thanks!
I agree don't move to the southwest side that's the most dangerous but the north side is the best I'm near Dixon so I have experience
Charleston is a nice town. Went to school there.
Flora is nice too. I paid $38,000 for a mild fixer upper in 2016.
Love Flora! Surprised it didn’t make the list!
Born and raised in Illinois. How I miss it.
So was I. Can I ask what you miss about that 💩hole? 🤣
i don’t, because of the ‘Chicago Politics’ destroying the state
Of course Chester has low crime. They have a prison there. Nobody wants to wind up in the crossbar hotel.
you mean ‘The Graybar Hotel’ or ‘The House of Many Windows’ ?
Prisons are often good for a community, they have three shifts, and the customers enjoy the hotel so much they choose to keep coming back. I am a retired parole officer, and while I never directly worked in a prison, I have known several folks that have used the benefits to further their education with some starting as correctional officers and eventually becoming nurses and other types of professionals.
Yes, Menard correctional facility near the Mississippi River
I grew up in Bethalto! I love it! Go Btown!
Don't come to Illinois for real. Been here 8 yrs and it's a state of crimals. School sucks and everything from taxes,food and gas are out of control
Illinois would be a safe bet if it weren't for the INSANE TAXES!
Downstate property values are generally much lower than the national average. A rural property can have reasonable taxes
@@timothykeith1367 I'm at over 7k in property tax this year in Winfield IL for a townhouse. About 20 miles out of Chicago. DuPage county is a nice place, though.
@@bobcantstandzyobitz9778well no one forced you to live in du page county you chose to live the county with some of the highest property values in the state.
@@bobcantstandzyobitz9778Wow! For a townhouse, that's insane.
In Freeport you can rent at $350 a month and up
I worked with a bunch of guys from Freeport and they said it was a crime ridden Shithole full of strungout junkies
Dang, Kewanee didn't make the list this time, but we are working on it.. When I retired, I choose to move to small town (BFE) Illinois from Philadelphia, Pa. Nothing like fresh air and listening to corn grow. Keep up the good work.
Thanks! I don't often hear about people leaving a major city to live in a rural area. Were you trying to get away from the crime, or just looking for a slower pace?
How is the crime in Kewanee? I love Goods furniture!
@@StuckInTheKernfield Born & raised in an Ohio farming community. Job took me to many small cities (including Canton IL) and major metro areas. I'll take slower, quieter, cheaper Midwest living.
@@MsAmelia65 Speed limit is 35, no golf carts on state highways, and the parks close at 10 PM. Yes we have a little bit of crime, but the weekly police crime report is awful boring,
Hog capital of the world!
Take Illinois. Please! As a famous comedian would have said.
grew up in Rock Falls nothing bad to say about it.
Good stuff. I love my state. I'd rather be nowhere else unless it's somewhere chill like the carribbean 😅
Uh...Kind of..? Sort of....? Maybe?
Be very wise and go into this with your eyes open.
In a lot of these towns, people know each other and have grown up together. Sometimes they can be suspicious of "outsiders" especially moving from Metro Chicago.
Can get a lot of comments like: "You're not from around here." Haven’t lnown you since 8th grade." "Didn't play ball with you on the team in high school.."
While not necessarily hatered, might not be a welcoming with open arms idyllic utopía.
Mendota is actually a good idea if you can stand it. Pretty close to Chicagoland, good if you work a hybrid job. Or Pontiac, if you don't mind living in a town with a big prison. I think people are sleeping on Pontiac. Crime is low, it's just boring and definitely behind the times. Many do not see this as a problem! There is even some racial diversity and the schools aren't terrible. You can even take a high speed (110 mph lol) train into Chicago from there.
We really need to make Chicago and the Chicago Land area it’s own state and have the rest of Illinois run like they run Wisconsin or Indiana. Imagine if Chicago Land was it’s own state just called Chicago, and the rest of Illinois was completely separated and free from the taxes and bull shit that the rest of Illinois has to deal with because of Chicago
Charleston is a college town and can get wild I wouldn’t wanna live there
Bloomington/Normal isn't bad either, could it use some improvement of course, but the bad thing is it's still Illinois! 👍
Biggsville Illinois, the last crime we had here, the neighbours cat stole a rabbit out of his cage!! They put us on lock down 😅 Just joking it's a town of about 120.
A concern for southern Illinois is the availability of power with the elimination of coal-fired plants.
In northern Illinois ComEd tried to eliminate the nuclear power plant in Byron. But fortunately lots of people protested and as of now the nuclear plant is still running.
A friend of mine moved to southern Illinois and put in solar. He has no problem with power.
I’m shocked that Leland, IL. didn’t make the list. It’s a better town than most featured here, and I can’t remember the last time I heard of a theft or burglary happening there.
Mt. Zion is mostly rural though.
Lived in Bethalto. The public schools there are VERY guarded as to who they let in. Too many people fudge addresses to get their kids in because the surrounding areas (Alton schools had to close due to race riots and had to ban home team fans from high school games) have bad schools and higher crime rates.
My brother lives in Charleston. He states it’s dying. Business closing left and right.
My husband grew up near Chester(Cutler). It’s a sh*thole.
I would suggest my Hometown, Shelbyville or Mt. Sterling. Mt. Sterling has a very low crime rate, good housing prices and several employers either in or near Mt. Sterling practically begging for workers. Jobs that pay very well even if you don’t have a college education.
I would love to see this for Indiana. My friend lives in Indianapolis and I know he wants to move.
Places in the metro east of St Louis are pretty safe. However not too diverse. We live within 10 miles of downtown St Louis and have access to all the hospitals and amenities without the crime. Property taxes are no different than the county of St Louis and there are other communities of less than 10 k which have that small town feeling.
I’m in the Metro-East too. People get what they pay for w housing.
these are places old people and introverts would like to live. most of these places are boring/dry asf, honestly. i live in North Chicago. nice spot near the lake. price is sorta high, but everything else is excellent. I find cheap food via driving furhter south & west. crime? people who over talk about crime in Chicago are usually people who havent been here for the last 40+ years, so they really dont understand what REAL crime is. i havent had "street issues" in chicago since the 1990s lol
I’m originally from Mississippi. I can’t say anything about Chicago, but I did move to southern Illinois two years ago, and honestly, I hear more bad stuff happening in my home state, then I do here. But for some reason, they say the Illinois is nothing but crime ridden. I do nothing but laugh.
This is one of my favorite videos and thank you very much
my comment is what about jobs in these towns? Like Canton is out there. Where do people find jobs near these towns.
Chester is a good choice. I'm a little surprised you didn't pick some of the "Little Egypt" towns until I remembered how much they suck.
Ugh!!! I hate Illinois!!! Miserable to live here!!
Born and raised in IL. It was great in the 80s. It’s a dump run by criminals now.
okay but do any of these cities have fiber internet? My husband works from home and we want to move to Illinois but fiber internet is a must.
I moved back to varna Illinois from fla to get away from the city and buy a house for 37k and it worth now 62k and I make more then in fla.
As an old (very old) retiree and motorcycle rider, I have ridden through most of these towns plus many, many more. I'm puzzled why some small towns in Illinois are well kept and safe while others are so run down, dying and crime ridden. Could city government be the reason? Riding is done for 2023, but I'm sure I'll visit some of them again in 2024.
The citizen/ residents can make it break a town.
Small town govt is so corrupt in Southern Illinois. Nothing but abandoned businesses and no jobs or new housing. Town government likes it that way. They're too lazy to even try to make it better.
Princeton, Il is a beautiful small town. West of Peru.
Had a friend who bought a home with an indoor pool, she thought it would be greatly for entertaining friends and family. After she turned on the pool heater (which is needed year round) she decided to demo the pool and the structure around it. The taxes and energy cost associated with the pool were astronomical.
I know of a guy that bought a house with a Indoor pool His very young wife bitched about the maintenance so much he backfilled it and put a floor over it
Are there taxes on a in ground pool (cement pond) that’s outside in illinois? My wife is overweight but she does really like to swim , I’m trying to keep her around! She always uses a pool when we go on vacation but won’t go to a public pool by the house because she’s super self conscious
@@fleadoggreen9062 my sister had an inground pool put in. Her taxes went up. it is in Illinois
What about Lincoln IL,Atlanta IL, Hayworth IL, just saying
Fulton County, Canton IL at one time had 7 factories going, the I H plant closed in 1983, they were had 3 shifts going. I delivered beer for Ben Davia over holidays , our warehouse was out of Macomb, IL. We had McDonough and Fulton counties., Canton nd Macomb, both were ag first, industrial second, both had a high number smaller mfg plants, now all that industry is gone. I am Glad / Happy that are making comebacks. I had friends that their parents had small business, i.e electrical,. plumbing, and those young men left Fulton / McDonough Counties and started working in Nuclear Power Plants, they retired early, and died young.
Hey I grew up in bethalto!
i grew up in the area and i recognize all the pictures of Bethalto in this video
I was born in Illinois and cant wait for interest rates go down iam gone not looking back its to corrupt for me anymore
Most of these towns are what people call "Sun Down" towns. Not much diversity. Stuck in 1963 racial mentality. Keep it real.
Hoosier here. Illinois looks a lot like Indiana. I love my lush green Midwest.
BS. Taxes Tripled and Gang gun fights in the countryside like on our Families road out away from Chicago 180 miles from Chicago. Residents of Illinois are flooding to Indiana to get away from Illinois and their biggest problem NOBODY wants to buy their homes in Illinois. My Niece is a Real-estate agent and has had potential buyers just leave their homes behind in Illinois to start over again in order to purchase a Home in Indiana.. So, yes you can purchase a Home in Illinois cheap. But the Real Price is not up front.
The building in Bethalto you showed at the 1:36 mark...I actually grew up in that apartment building but those years were not good years
One town close to home got on this list not too bad I love the lack of notoriety! Haha
Thank you for making this one. I'm interested in hearing your personal take on these places and more, since stats only do so much. Are you considering some more hands-on field research? That would definitely add a lot of punch to what you're offering.
When I get some time, I would like to do a series in which I visit every county in the state and cover some of the pros and cons to each one.
@@StuckInTheKernfield Visiting every county as you propose would be hard work but so worthwhile and interesting. Have you read or listened to Sarah Frey's book The Growing Season? Southern Illinois girl makes good. Quite a story.
Illinois? At least it's not Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri or Iowa.
I would greatly appreciate hearing about what the property taxes are like. I'm only familiar with the Chicago area where they are draining our pocketbooks and our blood. Have no idea how things are in the rest of the state.
High and rising, generally
2nd highest in the nation.
Taxes are high, but not as bad as Chicago. I'm in Bond county (Greenville area) and they are fairly high. Go a few miles further east to Fayette county (Vandalia) and they aren't as bad. Vandalia does have some advantages. There's Walmart, Aldis, Rural King, the lumber yard, a hospital, hardware stores and several other businesses in town. It still has the advantages of low crime, affordable housing, and a low cost of living. Both Greenville and Vandalia are bordered by hwy 70 on the south and hwy 40 on the north. You can go to either St Louis or Effingham (another nice area) fairly easily. A few of my neighbors actually commuted to St Louis daily before they retired.
I lived in St Louis before moving out here. The crime drove me out. I'd been robbed, burglarized, vandalized, and lost 2 cars. Out here I have everything I need. The biggest threat to my safety is the racoon raiding my garden. 🙂
Rochelle rt off 88 1 hr from west suburbs. Left IL going bavk
Im from IL just left! Won't come back until they clean up dirty politics! It will beva loooonnng time. Plus taxes. Thete atexalways trade offs
Tiny towns that might have a single school if you're lucky, surrounded by 60 churches. No thanks.
Too bad some people bring their bad habits to the rural area. Smoking weed like u in the hood no good . If you love drugs so much smoke em inside ur house and let your family smell that stuff not everyone wants to smell that stench
I lived in rockfalls, and i prefer Centralia over rockfalls. Rockfalls police shot an unarmed black man 5x and they ruled it justified
GET OUT OF IL. Crime/ Taxes , State going broke also
You are wrong about the state going broke - they are already broke. Darn shame, Illinois has resources other states wish they had. Out of control politicians, from both sides of the aisle messed up Illinois.
As a pretty well off retiree in Chicago , you’ve convinced me to buy a second home in a rural college town.
I was born and raised in Rock Falls. While I miss he quiet life there, the winters are to cold for my tastes.
Spring valley the built from the coal miners. My family came there in the 1880's
Chester over Marion?? CHESTER OVER MARION??!
Edwardsville IL is a great place to live & so is Glen Carbon IL!! ❤️🏡
What about the average rent prices in these cities if you wanted to rent and not own a home?
Maybe I should return to Illinois 😂
Nah, Maine has to be a nicer. ;-)
I really like Illinois .
Yes!!!
My wife is from Mendota. It's a nice little town.
Hey what are your opinions on Rantoul
I am trying to find a correlation between these towns that all have low crime rates.
Illinois is great every where outside the cities
I to live Illinois Chicago a good and best place in Illinois
Ohio , Indiana , Missouri cheap rent country town
With property tax rate where it is in ILL, there is no cheap places to live!
I thought property taxes were determined at the local, not state, level.
They are. Each county sets its own rate.
Thanks for this video, I found it very helpful. We are moving this summer and Illinois is on the top of the list. A few of the locations you mentioned are spots we've considered looking into after our last visit.
I'm glad I could help!
Any place 50 miles away from Chicago is ok 👍
I worry about diversity when it comes to moving outside of Chicago. As a woman of color, I worry about feeling safe. I was in Red Bud a few years ago, and there was no Black people there. There is only one Hispanic family there. There is a fear that there are many places like that.
My bf (white) is from the northwest of IL (close to the quad cities) and anytime we visit, there are Black people but they rarely come outside and integrate...They did own some shops though. During the countyfair, there were a bunch of Trump 2024 flags. I didn't feel anything negative as a BW, even without my bf but I can see why they keep to themselves.
99% of white people are not racist. We don’t sit around bad mouthing black people. If you have a job and are trying then your good.
im scared of going to south side of chicago
@@romannavarro1178 lmao unless you have a really good reason, stay the fuck out of Chicago
I grew up in Charleston, which is a majority white, however, the university draws students from Chicago and it brought some nice diversity to a small town.
You should check out shelbyville Illinois we have great camping a great big lake some good places to work a great community 😃
I'm familiar with Shelbyville. The reason I don't recommend it is that the median household income is about $21500 less than that of the state's, at $51,061. Also, the chance of becoming a victim of a crime is 1 in 44.
Whoever made this up, must not be from Illinois or lived in any of those towns
I'm from East Central Illinois, actually.
So, how's the springfield area ?? Good or bad ??
I don't recommend it. I covered it in this video: th-cam.com/video/M8VY5P7Ggn0/w-d-xo.html
@@tarun_Yt Springfield area is good. If you’re in healthcare or want to work for the government it’s a nice easy living place. If you need a large city nearby you might not like it. The small towns around Springfield are okay but I’d recommend living in Springfield. Some parts of the city send their kids to a small neighboring towns school. Which is to the detriment of the Springfield school district but it could be a bonus if that’s what you want.
Nasty
great video, ty
Rockfalls power company is not the best!
I found a great deal and a great community in Byron Illinois with fantastic schools
The tax on the nuc. plant paid for those schools. Every few years the plant talks about closing..If you can live with a 20 mile drive to buy most of the things in you life. The park district is good and there is Byron drag strip. Sunday,Sunday,sunday.
Too bad Cook and Lake County can't form a 51st state.
Love when you find a good side to stuff! Excellent job as usual!
Thank you! It's a shame that negative videos do better. If not for that, I would focus on the positives more than I do.
Thank you for another interesting and educational video.
Glad you enjoyed it!
FYI.. .Charleston has zero things to do and some things shut down in the area. in the summer. The few businesses that are there are constantly booked up because they have had the same customers for years and never grow their businesses to accomo new customers. Good luck getting a doctor appointment, vet appointment, car repair, salon appointment, any repair of any kind. The only major store is Walmart and during school season actual fights break out in the aisle with gangs of college kids.
Illinois SUCKS. And I live here.🤣
The trouble is that they're still in Illinois.
Only place I would live in Illinois: Galena.
Love this type of video! Keep up the great work!
Thank you! Will do!
go to NEW york