What it's like to live in Chatham
Chatham is a small city in Illinois with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, household incomes running above the national average, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Chatham deals with cold winters, fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Cold winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Chatham compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Chatham
Based on Chatham's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,512
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $50,240 a year
- 27% of Chatham renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$48,640
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $24,320
- Homes cost 2.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 11% below US
$1,256/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,256 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $243,200. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $243,200 · 27% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.4% county unemployment
Unemployment in Sangamon County is 4.4%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Sangamon County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 42% below US
191 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 524/100k · Chatham Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 12% below US
23 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 15% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 84°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 21°F and snow a regular occurrence. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 48% above US
53% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
5 public schools inside the boundary
There are 5 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Lincoln Home National Historic Site (9 miles away). There are 5 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Chatham's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are cold winters and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city. A year of median rent ($1,256/mo) equals 14% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (15% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Chatham
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