CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

41.77° N · 89.77° W · GEOID 1715950

Como

Whiteside County, Illinois · part of the Sterling, IL metro

Limited data population under 5,000, core figures borrowed from county or metro: median_gross_rent

IllinoisComo, ILComoComo

The short answer

Como is home to 535 people. Median household income is $63,750 a year and median rent is $856 a month, 16.1% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $175,700, about 2.8x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$856
37% below the median place
Median household income
$63,750
21% below the median place
Median home value
$175,700
45% below the median place
Unemployment
12.7%
160% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Como

  • 100% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a higher share than in 99% of the 2,214 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 317 Illinois places.
  • Only 0% of workers mostly work from home, fewer than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 321 Illinois places.
  • Household income has grown -3.8% a year across the last five survey releases, slower than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 335 Illinois places.
  • Unemployment averaged 12.7% over the survey period, higher than in 94% of places its size.
  • Households average 2.97 people, larger than in 87% of places its size.
01

Moving to Como

Whiteside County gains about 2.7 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in1,840
Moved out1,715
Net+125

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Illinois, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within IllinoisOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$49K
Leavers$51K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Whiteside County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
0.0% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.0% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Whiteside County report $49,100 a year in income on average; those leaving, $51,400.
Income you would need
$34,200 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $856 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,207 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $175,700.
Getting to work
20 minutes each way on average; 0.0% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Seminole, TX matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
0.0%
below the median place (median 5.7%)
Moved from another state1
0.0%
below the median place (median 2.0%)
Income of households moving in6
$49,082
30% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureComoAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year10.0%below (median 5.7%)
Moved from another state10.0%below (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people6County figure2.7above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in6County figure$49,08230% below
Income of households moving out6County figure$51,37527% below
02

What it costs to live here

Renters paying 30%+ is 100.0%, 98% above the median place.

Como16.1%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$34,240
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
16.1%
21% below the median place
Home price to income
2.8x
27% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
16%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$53,700
a year, prices not adjusted
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Como, $856 a month. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Como.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Como? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
100.0%
98% above the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$1,207
36% below the median place
Property tax rate1
1.8%
96% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureComoAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1County figure$85637% below
Rent to income116.1%21% below
Property tax rate11.8%96% above
Home price to income12.8x27% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2County figure$94541% below
HUD area median income3County figure$90,90015% below
Property tax paid (median)1$3,1254% below
Median home value1$175,70045% below
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure4.0%25% above
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure37.3%28% below
Homeownership184.4%27% above
Renters paying 30%+1100.0%98% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,20736% below
Vacant homes1County figure10.5%49% above
Median year built119611% below
03

Work and pay

Works from home is 0.0%, below the median place (median 12.4%).

Works from home1
0.0%
below the median place (median 12.4%)
Unemployment1
12.7%
160% above the median place
Income per person1
$25,437
37% below the median place
All 9 work and pay measures
MeasureComoAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$63,75021% below
Income per person1$25,43737% below
Unemployment112.7%160% above
Average annual pay5County figure$54,34918% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure0.3%92% below
Jobs5County figure20,28587% below
Poverty rate1County figure12.0%11% above
Mean commute1County figure20 min18% below
Works from home10.0%below (median 12.4%)
04

Who lives here

Household size is 3.0, 19% above the median place.

Household size1
3.0
19% above the median place
Median age1
35.5
9% below the median place
Homes with broadband1
91.7%
1% below the median place
All 8 people measures
MeasureComoAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population15356646th largest
Median age135.59% below
Bachelor's or higher1County figure20.4%36% below
High school or higher192.7%0% above
Household size13.019% above
Born abroad1County figure3.0%66% below
No health insurance1County figure5.0%22% below
Homes with broadband191.7%1% below
05

Life in Como

14 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars23.5 +13%
Shops31.5 +4%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.5 +10%
Doctors' offices and clinics9.6 −52%
Child care centers2.0 −13%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7
9.6
52% below the median place
Public schools9
43
378% above the median place
Restaurants and bars per 10k7
23.5
13% above the median place
All 9 schools and local life measures
MeasureComoAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools9County figure43378% above
Public school students9County figure8,44572% above
Students per teacher9County figure13.810% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k7County figure23.513% above
Shops per 10k7County figure31.54% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7County figure4.510% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7County figure9.652% below
Child care centers per 10k7County figure2.013% below
National Register listings8County figure148% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Wildfire risk is 14.1, 77% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Como. Larger places are fetched first.

Wildfire risk11
14.1
77% below the median place
January average low10
14°F
46% below the median place
Heat wave risk11
50.2
44% below the median place
All 9 weather and risk measures
MeasureComoAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high10County figure84°F3% below
January average low10County figure14°F46% below
Average temperature10County figure50°F9% below
Annual precipitation10County figure38.4 in12% below
Natural hazard risk11County figure65.829% below
Hurricane risk11County figure18.474% below
Tornado risk11County figure78.14% below
Wildfire risk11County figure14.177% below
Heat wave risk11County figure50.244% below
08

Como in 2030: where the trends point

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median household income$63,750 (2024)$77,000$65,000 to $91,000+3.2%
Median home value$175,700 (2024)$239,000$174,000 to $329,000+5.3%

The median home would be worth 3.1 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.8 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Como

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Seminole, TX$858$60,390Compare
Van Buren, AR$847$61,149Compare
Rittman, OH$814$60,154Compare
Purcell, OK$868$63,457Compare
Purcell, OKRittman, OHVan Buren, ARSeminole, TXComo, ILComoSeminoleVan BurenRittmanPurcellComoSeminoleVan BurenRittmanPurcell

Common questions

Is Como a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. 100% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a higher share than in 99% of the 2,214 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 317 Illinois places. Only 0% of workers mostly work from home, fewer than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 321 Illinois places. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Como expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 16.1% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $175,700.

What salary do you need to live in Como?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $34,240 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Como?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Seminole, TX, Van Buren, AR, Rittman, OH and Purcell, OK.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  3. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  7. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  8. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  9. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  10. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  11. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Como with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Como itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/como-illinois

Citytistics. “Como, Illinois.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/como-illinois/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.