Pekin, IL — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Illinois·Pekin

Tazewell County · Peoria · population 31,266

AffordabilityInvestors
Pekin, IL
Image: Wikipedia · Pekin, Illinois
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
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74
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Pekin stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 9.3% in the last year. averaging 7.7% annual growth over 5 years.

Median home $139,291
1-year +9.3%
5-yr CAGR +7.7%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.4%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$139k$82k$103k$124k$145k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
74/100
Strong remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 12.1
Buy

At a 12.1 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Pekin on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 12.1 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
90 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
77 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
39 · w16%
Home 10-yr CAGR
55 · w10%
Long thesis

Pekin has averaged 7.7% annual appreciation over five years and the trend is still live (+9.3% in the last 12 months). When a momentum trade keeps working, the simplest explanation is usually correct: more people want in.

Short thesis

Pekin's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Pekin

Pekin is a city in Tazewell County, Illinois, with an estimated population of 31,266. It anchors the Peoria metro area. The median home value in Pekin is $139,291 as of 2026-04, up 9.3% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +7.7% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Pekin average $957 per month. The composite momentum score is 74 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Trend still working: prices up 9.3% in the last 12 months — buyers are still chasing inventory.
●Affordable AND rising: median home $139,291 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.
●Healthy 5-year run: +7.7% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

●Flat or shrinking population: -0.4% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.
○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Pekin (Wikipedia)

Pekin is located in, and is the county seat of, Tazewell County, Illinois, United States. It is located along the Illinois River in Central Illinois. The population was 31,731 at the 2020 census. Pekin is the largest city in Tazewell County and the second-most populous city in the Peoria metropolitan area. A small portion of the city limits extend into Peoria County.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Tazewell County right now.

NWS active alerts (IL)Illinois Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Tazewell County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Pekin

Ottawa, IL75 · RisingFreeport, IL75 · RisingTaylorville, IL72 · RisingCarbondale, IL76 · Rising

Run the numbers for Pekin

ToolCan I afford Pekin?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Pekin rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Pekin to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolPekin cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

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

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
33° / 18°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
85° / 64°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
189
~52% of year
Annual precip
38″ rain
22″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
High
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Low
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Pekin listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Peoria area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
71%
Humid climate
Median household income
$78,400
Illinois state median
Top industries (state-level)
FinanceManufacturingHealthcare

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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