What it's like to live in Ottawa
Ottawa is a small city in Illinois with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, commutes that run shorter than most cities, 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. Ottawa deals with county unemployment above the national average, cold, harsh 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
- Short commutes
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment in the county
- Cold, harsh winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Ottawa compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Ottawa
Based on Ottawa's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,840
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $36,800 a year
- 48% of Ottawa renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$30,800
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $15,400
- 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▼ 35% below US
$920/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $920 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 $154,000. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $154,000 · 48% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
5.4% county unemployment
Unemployment in LaSalle County is 5.4%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
LaSalle County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 26% below US
245 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 1236/100k · Ottawa Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 13% below US
23 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 22.7 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 5% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 83°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 17°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 35% below US
23% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 23%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
9 public schools inside the boundary
There are 9 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. 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 Pullman National Historical Park (67 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Ottawa's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are county unemployment above the national average and cold, harsh winters. A year of median rent ($920/mo) equals 15% 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 moving without a job lined up, anyone who doesn't drive, and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Ottawa
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