St. Elmo, IL housing market
The typical St. Elmo home is worth about $127,000, down 7.4% in a year, 57% below the Illinois typical home.
Home values, sales, trends and how St. Elmo compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
St. Elmo at a glance
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | St. Elmo | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $116,000 | $181,000 |
| 2018 | $115,000 | $190,000 |
| 2019 | $107,000 | $195,000 |
| 2020 | $122,000 | $200,000 |
| 2021 | $125,000 | $215,000 |
| 2022 | $130,000 | $236,000 |
| 2023 | $134,000 | $248,000 |
| 2024 | $137,000 | $263,000 |
| 2025 | $145,000 | $278,000 |
| 2026 | $129,000 | $290,000 |
| August 2026 | $127,000 | $298,000 |
3 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 3 new homes in St. Elmo in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $1 million to build. That's 2.4 per 1,000 residents, faster than across Illinois (1.6). Over the past 10 years, St. Elmo has permitted 7 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, St. Elmo's population fell by 172 even though 4 new homes were permitted. Homes are holding fewer people: households are getting smaller, or more homes are used part of the year.
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 1 | 1 | 0 | $342,000 |
| 2025 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $1 million |
| 2024 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $18,000 |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2020 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $15,000 |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2018 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $265,000 |
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2015 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $201,000 |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2010 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $168,000 |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2007 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2006 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2005 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $405,000 |
| 2004 | 16 | 0 | 16 | $474,000 |
| 2003 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $43,000 |
| 2002 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $70,000 |
| 2001 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
2.8 years of income
The typical St. Elmo home costs about 2.8 years of the town's median household income, less than across Illinois (3.6 years).
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $920
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in St. Elmo is $920 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in St. Elmo pay a median of $762, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put. A two-bedroom takes about 24% of the town's median household income.
Studio $720 · 4 bedrooms $1,300
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (62458; Effingham County, IL), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.