What it's like to live in Macomb
Macomb 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 commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Macomb deals with household incomes below the national average, a population that has been shrinking, a poverty rate above the national average, and cold winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Shrinking population
- High poverty rate
- Cold winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Macomb compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Macomb
Based on Macomb's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,530
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $30,600 a year
- 47% of Macomb renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$20,660
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $10,330
- 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▼ 46% below US
$765/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $765 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 $103,300. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $103,300 · 47% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.4% county unemployment
Unemployment in McDonough 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.
McDonough County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 80% below US
74 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 439/100k · Macomb Police Department · 2024 data
Getting around▼ 40% below US
16 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 15.5 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 8% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 84°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 19°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
35% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 35% 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 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1, 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 New Philadelphia National Historic Site (55 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Macomb'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 a population that has been shrinking. A year of median rent ($765/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Macomb
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