Cost of living in Galesburg, IL — Housing, Rent & Index

All states·Illinois·Galesburg·Cost of living

Housing, rent, and a comparison to the US average.

$103,132
Median home value
/mo
Median rent
29
Cost index (US=100)
+15.0%
Home YoY change

The median home value in Galesburg, IL is $103,132 as of 2026-04. That places Galesburg below the US average for housing cost, with a cost index of approximately 29 versus a national baseline of 100.

Over the past 12 months, the median home value in Galesburg has climbed 15.0%, and over the past five years it has averaged +4.8% annual growth. The current price sits +0.0% from its 5-year peak in 2026-04.

Beyond housing, day-to-day costs in Galesburg are shaped by state and local taxes, utility rates, transportation, and groceries. This page focuses on the housing component, which is the largest single line in most household budgets and the easiest to compare across cities using consistent national data.

Housing

Median home value$103,132
1-year change+15.0%
5-year price growth+4.8%
10-year price growth+3.9%
vs 5-year peak+0.0%

Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI).

How Galesburg compares

Cost index29 (below US)
Median home vs US (~$355k)-70.9%
Population29,289
Momentum score70 (Rising)

Cost index is currently a housing-only proxy; full BLS basket coming with ACS pull.

Affordability reality

Prices only mean something against local pay. Here’s how Galesburg’s housing lines up with what people here actually earn.

Median rent vs income12% of local median income
Home price-to-income2.1× local median income

At $495/mo, rent eats about 12% of the local median household income of $48,297 — within the 30% rule of thumb for affordable housing.

The median home runs about 2.1× the local median income (historically affordable).

Daily life in Galesburg

Climate

85°/64° summer33°/18° winter189 sunny days22″ snow/yr38″ rain/yr

Summers run mild (highs near 85°F) and winters are chilly (highs near 33°F), with about 22″ of snow a year.

Natural-hazard & insurance risk

Flood: moderateTornado: highHurricane: very lowWildfire: very lowEarthquake: low

Insurance heads-up: in Galesburg, flood damage isn’t covered by standard home insurance — budget for a separate NFIP/private flood policy and check the FEMA flood zone for the exact address.

Getting around

The average commute is 18 min — shorter than the US average of ~27 min; 5% of workers are remote; 62% own their home.

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.