1st Advantage MortgageIn Piatt County, Illinois, the typical household earns $94,811 a year and the typical rent is $1,046. Your income, debts and credit decide what you qualify for. Get offers in writing, compare the total repaid, and never pay a fee up front.
On this page
- Piatt County, IL: the basics
- Rent, home values and ownership in Piatt County
- Income in Piatt County compared with Illinois
- Employment and commuting in Piatt County
- Cities, towns and CDPs in Piatt County
- How Piatt County compares with nearby counties
- Budget math at the Piatt County median
- Reading the Piatt County data as a borrower
- More Piatt County figures
- Before you sign
- Illinois rules that apply in Piatt County
- More guides for Piatt County
- Frequently asked questions
Piatt County, IL: the basics
Roughly 16,695 residents live in Piatt County, Illinois, 63rd by population among the state's 102 counties and county equivalents. It covers 439 square miles of land, or about 38 people per square mile. For statistical purposes it belongs to the Champaign-Urbana, IL metro area, as delineated by the Office of Management and Budget in July 2023. The Census Bureau counts 10 places in the county (8 incorporated, 2 census-designated); the largest is Monticello, with about 6,304 residents, or 38% of the county.
Rent, home values and ownership in Piatt County
Median gross rent, utilities included, comes to $1,046 in Piatt County versus $1,274 statewide. Rent takes 30% or more of income for 31% of renter households here. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $180,600, about 1.9 times the median household income. Owners occupy 85% of homes. Median construction year: 1973.
| Home costs | Piatt County | Illinois | U.S. middle county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $1,046/mo | $1,274/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $180,600 | $263,300 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 85% | 67% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 31% | 48% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 20% | 27% | n/a |
Because most Piatt County households own, home repairs are a frequent reason to borrow. An unsecured personal loan leaves the house out of the deal, while a HELOC uses it as collateral.
Income in Piatt County compared with Illinois
Piatt County households have a median income of $94,811 (ACS 2020 to 2024), which ranks 8th of 102 in Illinois.
| Households earning | Piatt County | +/- vs Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 12.7% | -8.2 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 42.7% | +5.5 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 33.3% | +5.2 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 11.4% | -2.5 pts |
The spread is wide: 45% of Piatt County households make $100,000 or more, and 13% make less than $35,000. 6.1% of residents fall below the federal poverty line (statewide: 11.8%). The Gini index of income inequality is 0.407 (0 is perfect equality). A household earning below the $94,811 median should test any payment carefully; one earning above it should still pick the shortest term it can manage.
Employment and commuting in Piatt County
By the Census industry count, 29% of employed Piatt County residents work in education and health care and 12% in retail trade. The sharpest difference from the state is in education and health care, at 29% locally and 24% for Illinois. The survey's unemployment rate for Piatt County averages 2.8% over 2020 to 2024 (state: 5.8%). 8% of commuters travel 45 minutes or more each way, and 7% work from home. Only 2.1% of homes here go without a vehicle.
| Industry (employed residents 16+) | Piatt County | Gap to Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 29.5% | +5.9 pts |
| Retail trade | 12.4% | +2.0 pts |
| Manufacturing | 9.1% | -2.4 pts |
| Construction | 8.4% | +3.1 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 8.3% | -4.6 pts |
| Finance, insurance and real estate | 6.8% | -0.6 pts |
If your hours swing with the season or with overtime, size a loan payment against your base pay, not your best month.
Cities, towns and CDPs in Piatt County
Here are the 10 most populous of the county's 10 Census places, with income and rent from the same 2020 to 2024 survey. About 73% of Piatt County residents live in one of the 10. Among places of 500 or more people, median income runs from $76,250 in Bement to $99,449 in Monticello. Median rent ranges from $807 in Bement to $1,379 in Monticello. This guide covers each of the 10 places and the rural areas around them.
| Place in county | Status | Population (ACS) | Median HH income | Monthly rent | Distance from center |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monticello | city | 6,304 | $99,449 | $1,379 | 2 mi |
| Bement | village | 1,792 | $76,250 | $807 | 6 mi |
| Cerro Gordo | village | 1,349 | $77,857 | $846 | 11 mi |
| Mansfield | village | 866 | $78,750 | $1,021 | 15 mi |
| Hammond | village | 617 | $77,019 | $817 | 14 mi |
| De Land | village | 448 | $50,000 | $644 | 8 mi |
| Cisco | village | 234 | $50,625 | $1,146 | 7 mi |
| Ivesdale | village | 209 | $64,375 | n/a | 8 mi |
| LaPlace | CDP | 170 | n/a | n/a | 16 mi |
| White Heath | CDP | 163 | $98,409 | n/a | 7 mi |
How Piatt County compares with nearby counties
The six counties whose centers lie closest to Piatt County's, from 20 to 36 miles away. Income ranges from $62,666 in Macon County to $79,905 in McLean County; none of these neighbors top Piatt County's median.
| Nearby county | Center to center | Household income | Gross rent | Owner-occupied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piatt County | - | $94,811 | $1,046/mo | 85% |
| De Witt County, IL | 20 mi | $71,678 | $903/mo | 79% |
| Macon County, IL | 22 mi | $62,666 | $847/mo | 70% |
| Champaign County, IL | 23 mi | $63,683 | $1,051/mo | 54% |
| Moultrie County, IL | 26 mi | $71,784 | $804/mo | 76% |
| Douglas County, IL | 26 mi | $77,320 | $848/mo | 77% |
| McLean County, IL | 36 mi | $79,905 | $1,009/mo | 65% |
Budget math at the Piatt County median
How much room does a median Piatt County budget have? Take median income, subtract median rent, and check what is left under a few common debt-to-income limits.
- $94,811 a year is $7,901 of gross monthly income
- Less median rent of $1,046, which is 13% of it
- With a 40% ceiling, about $2,114 remains for car, card, student and any new loan payments
Car, student loan and card payments come out of that room first. Try your own numbers in the calculator.
Reading the Piatt County data as a borrower
The county's numbers point to a few situations that come up often for Piatt County borrowers.
- Higher earners. 45% of households clear $100,000; shop at least three lenders and pick the shortest term.
- Paperwork. ID, proof of income and a bank account are the basics (requirements).
- Scams. A fee demanded before funding is a red flag; report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov (spotting scams).
More Piatt County figures
Degree holders: 33% of adults over 25. About 3% go without health insurance.
| Piatt County | Illinois | U.S. county median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.8 | 39.0 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 32.9% | 37.8% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 3.8% | 9.5% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 3.3% | 6.9% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 2.1% | 11.0% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 7.3% | 15.9% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 6.1% | 11.8% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 2.8% | 5.8% | 4.4% |
| Commute length | Piatt County |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 27.2% |
| 15 to 29 min | 35.3% |
| 30 to 44 min | 29.7% |
| 45 to 59 min | 3.7% |
| 60+ min | 4.0% |
Before you sign
Four checks before you sign anything:
- Size the loan to the bill, not to the most a lender offers.
- Shop at least three lenders, including one Piatt County-area credit union.
- Check the license, then the reviews, then the offer.
- Never pay a fee up front to get a loan.
Illinois rules that apply in Piatt County
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation is the place to verify any lender's Illinois license. Banks and credit unions have their own regulators, and the CFPB takes complaints about any lender. The Illinois guide covers state rules in more detail.
More guides for Piatt County
The Illinois guide covers the whole state.
Frequently asked questions
How much do households in Piatt County earn?
The median is $94,811; 45% earn $100,000 or more and 13% under $35,000. A lender uses your own documented income, not this figure.
Is Piatt County expensive for renters?
Median rent is $1,046 against $1,274 statewide, and 31% of renter households are cost-burdened.
I own my home in Piatt County. Personal loan or HELOC?
A HELOC uses the house as collateral; a personal loan usually does not. With 85% of homes owner-occupied here, many readers can compare both in writing.
Does this page cover Monticello?
Yes, along with the other 9 Census places in Piatt County, such as Bement, Cerro Gordo, Mansfield.
Is the fit check different in Piatt County?
No. It is identical everywhere, and it never looks at your neighborhood.