Clark County

Clark County, Illinois sits at a median home price of $150,341 with 8.77% year-over-year appreciation, which is a meaningful price gain for a county at this price point. The affordability index of 98 out of 100 confirms that homes here remain accessible relative to local incomes. The data does not include a median rent figure or cap rate for Clark, so the cash-flow score registers at zero, which is less a verdict on the market than a reflection of incomplete rent data at this time. What the appreciation score of 83 and the national percentile rank of 98th out of 1,000 counties do tell you is that this market is performing well on a relative basis, and the price-to-income picture is one of the most favorable in the country. Whether the numbers pencil for cash flow depends on rents you will need to verify locally, but the entry price is low enough that even modest rents can produce serviceable yields.

Given the $150,341 median price, 8.77% appreciation, and near-perfect affordability score, Clark County is best positioned for an appreciation-oriented buyer who wants low entry cost and is comfortable with limited rent-data visibility. At a $30,068 down payment on the median home, the capital commitment is modest. An investor chasing cash flow will need to do primary rent research before underwriting, since no rent-to-price ratio is available here, unlike neighbors Saint Clair (8.44%) and Peoria (9.08%), which at least confirm that Illinois markets at this price tier can support workable gross yields. A value-add operator willing to do that homework could find opportunity in a thin, low-competition market, but should not assume the rent figures from larger neighboring counties translate directly to Clark.

The data does not include economic anchors or employer information for Clark County, so job-base depth cannot be assessed from the figures provided. At a population of 15,467, this is a small rural county, and that context matters. Thin rental demand, limited multifamily inventory, and lower tenant turnover can cut both ways: vacancy spikes are possible if a single employer contracts, but landlords in these markets often see long-tenured tenants who have few other housing options. An investor evaluating Clark specifically should verify local employment composition independently before committing capital.

Illinois carries a state-average effective property tax rate of 2.27%, and the data flags this as very high, which it is. Combined with insurance at 0.27%, the monthly tax-and-insurance load on a $150,341 home comes to approximately $318 per month. That is a real number that must sit on its own line in your underwrite. Before debt service, before management fees, before maintenance reserves, you are already carrying $318 in fixed overhead. At a 9% gross yield, a $150,341 home would generate roughly $1,128 per month in rent, leaving $810 to cover a mortgage at 6.85% on a $120,273 loan (roughly $793 per month), management, and vacancy. The margin is thin. At a yield below 8%, the tax burden alone makes it difficult to break even on a leveraged hold. The 2.27% figure is a state-average estimate from Tax Foundation 2024 data, and county and township rates in Illinois can vary materially from that baseline, so you need the actual Clark County assessor rate before finalizing any underwrite.

The concentration risk here is demographic. A population of 15,467 in a rural Illinois county means the renter pool is limited. If the local economy softens or population continues any long-term decline common to downstate Illinois, vacancy could rise faster than in a metro market with deeper demand. Regulatory risk is lower in rural Illinois than in Chicago or Cook County, where rent control discussions and tenant-protection ordinances are more active, but state-level landlord-tenant law still applies uniformly.

Among the five neighboring counties provided, Clark's overall score of 78 ties Iroquois (78) and Bureau (78), trails Edwards (79) and Peoria (79) slightly, and edges Saint Clair (77). Peoria County at $154,382 and a 9.08% rent-to-price ratio offers slightly higher rents relative to price and a larger tenant pool, making it the stronger cash-flow candidate if that ratio holds at the individual property level. Saint Clair at $173,515 and 8.44% rent-to-price is the most expensive option in the peer group with the lowest overall score. Edwards County at $124,765 is the cheapest entry point in the set and scores 79, but an even smaller population base raises the same concentration concerns as Clark. Choose Clark over its neighbors primarily if you believe the 8.77% annual appreciation continues, the entry price suits your capital stack, and you have done the rent-verification work that the missing data here requires. If confirmed rents push the gross yield to 9% or above and you can source the actual county tax rate below the 2.27% state average, Clark becomes genuinely competitive within this peer group.