What it's like to live in Belleville
Belleville is a small city in Illinois with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Belleville deals with household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, a population that has been shrinking, and cold winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Shrinking population
- Cold winters
How Belleville compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Belleville
Based on Belleville's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,038
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $40,760 a year
- 47% of Belleville renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$28,260
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $14,130
- Homes cost 2.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 28% below US
$1,019/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $1,019 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $141,300. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $141,300 · 47% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.6% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.6%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 46% above US
481 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 1639/100k · Belleville Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.1 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 12% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 89°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 27°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 5.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 22% below US
28% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 28%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
23 public schools inside the boundary
There are 23 public schools inside the boundary and 9 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Gateway Arch National Park (13 miles away). There are 6 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Belleville's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,019/mo) equals 19% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget.
Other places near Belleville
All Illinois guides →Moving to Fairview Heights →
6 mi away · pop. 16,745
Rent $1,174/mo · Income $80,930
Compare with Belleville →Moving to O'Fallon →
7 mi away · pop. 32,262
Rent $1,332/mo · Income $105,982
Compare with Belleville →Not sure Belleville is the one?
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