What it's like to live in Collinsville
Collinsville is a small city in Illinois with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, 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. Collinsville deals with household incomes below the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, cold winters, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Air quality concerns
- Cold winters
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Collinsville compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Collinsville
Based on Collinsville's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,076
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $41,520 a year
- 42% of Collinsville renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$32,720
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $16,360
- Homes cost 2.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 27% below US
$1,038/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $1,038 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 $163,600. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $163,600 · 42% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 12% below US
3.8% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.8%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 34% below US
216 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 1037/100k · Collinsville Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.2 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 88°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
Education & workforce▼ 14% below US
31% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 31% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
10 public schools inside the boundary
There are 10 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, 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 (10 miles away). There are 6 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Collinsville'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 air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,038/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Collinsville
All Illinois guides →Moving to Fairview Heights →
6 mi away · pop. 16,745
Rent $1,174/mo · Income $80,930
Compare with Collinsville →Moving to Glen Carbon →
6 mi away · pop. 13,977
Rent $1,097/mo · Income $97,168
Compare with Collinsville →Moving to Granite City →
7 mi away · pop. 26,549
Rent $834/mo · Income $59,205
Compare with Collinsville →Not sure Collinsville is the one?
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