You Can Easily Buy a Home in Illinois’ Cheapest City, But Don’t?

I don't like to be told what to do or what not to do, so perhaps I should change my advice to "maybe". This is in regards to the cheapest city you can buy a home in Illinois, but probably don't. I'll explain why.

I mean no offense to this fine Illinois city. I have seriously had friends of my family who lived there. This somewhat tiny Land of Lincoln city was just ranked as the cheapest place in the state to buy a home, but I probably wouldn't do it.

Let me share the facts with you first before I debate whether it's a good idea. 24/7 Wall St just shared this interesting lists of Illinois places that are the most expensive or the cheapest to buy a home. The caveat is that it's for cities with a population of 40,000 or more. Curiously, Quincy is not in their list. What's up with that?

According to this ranking, Decatur, Illinois is the cheapest place in the state to buy a home. Median home value in Decatur is a very affordable for most $96,800 and the home ownership rate is over 61%. That's it for the good news.

Would I buy a home in Decatur, Illinois? Let's put it this way. Neighborhood Scout says that Decatur has a crime rate higher than just about any similar sized city in America so that's a big no from me. Best Places agrees.

Does this mean everyone or most people in Decatur, Illinois are losers? Not at all. These are just statistics and not something personal. However, if it comes to buying a home in Illinois' cheapest city, perhaps the answer should be a hard no.