Housing, rent, and a comparison to the US average.
The median home value in Vandalia, IL is $128,656 as of 2026-04. That places Vandalia below the US average for housing cost, with a cost index of approximately 36 versus a national baseline of 100.
Over the past 12 months, the median home value in Vandalia has fallen 6.7%, and over the past five years it has averaged +3.6% annual growth. The current price sits -6.8% from its 5-year peak in 2025-03.
Beyond housing, day-to-day costs in Vandalia 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 | $128,656 |
| 1-year change | -6.7% |
| 5-year price growth | +3.6% |
| 10-year price growth | +2.3% |
| vs 5-year peak | -6.8% |
Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI).
How Vandalia compares
| Cost index | 36 (below US) |
| Median home vs US (~$355k) | -63.8% |
| Population | 7,358 |
| Momentum score | 42 (Cooling) |
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 Vandalia’s housing lines up with what people here actually earn.
| Median rent vs income | 16% of local median income |
| Home price-to-income | 2.8× local median income |
At $618/mo, rent eats about 16% of the local median household income of $45,469 — within the 30% rule of thumb for affordable housing.
The median home runs about 2.8× the local median income (historically affordable).
Daily life in Vandalia
Climate
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
Insurance heads-up: in Vandalia, 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 20 min — shorter than the US average of ~27 min; 8% of workers are remote; 67% own their home.
Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.