Springfield ranks high for most affordable housing in Illinois cities

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WICS/WRSP) — Some Illinois cities are getting new bragging rights, including Springfield.

Springfield has been ranked as one of the cheapest places to live in the state.

The Census Bureau released the latest estimates of the best housing affordability for cities in Illinois.

The report compares local home prices to local incomes and based on that, Springfield ranks third for most affordable housing in Illinois.

“I think you have houses ranging from, you know, from $40,000 to $4 million, so I mean you can find pretty much anything here, it's just finding the neighborhood you'd like to be in,” Springfield resident Rick Bilyeu said.

A total of 63.5 percent of Springfield residents own their own homes. The median home value in Springfield is $116,900.

"We have great paying jobs and a lot of it's due to government, but our medical community and we have a lot of family-grown businesses anywhere from a small business all the way up to corporations that are global that really lead to the benefit of making Springfield an affordable city," Mayor of Springfield Jim Langfelder said.

Just ahead of Springfield on the list are Decatur and Rockford.