CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

42.10° N · 88.76° W · GEOID 1740065

Kingston

DeKalb County, Illinois · part of the Chicago, IL metro

Limited data population under 5,000

IllinoisKingston, ILKingstonKingston

The short answer

Kingston is home to 1,352 people. Median household income is $88,295 a year and median rent is $995 a month, 13.5% 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 $241,700, about 2.7x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$995
27% below the median place
Median household income
$88,295
10% above the median place
Median home value
$241,700
24% below the median place
Unemployment
15.6%
219% 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 Kingston

  • Unemployment averaged 15.6% over the survey period, higher than in 97% of the 1,242 places under 10,000 people we track.
  • 12% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a smaller share than in 93% of places its size.
  • Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 225 hours a year commuting, more than in 91% of places its size.
  • The median rent takes only 13.5% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 91% of places its size.
  • Public schools here have 11.5 students per teacher, fewer than in 84% of places its size.

Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 81 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings.

01

Moving to Kingston

DeKalb County gains about 0.2 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in5,048
Moved out5,030
Net+18

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$54K
Leavers$53K

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

Who moves here
9.8% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.9% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into DeKalb County report $54,000 a year in income on average; those leaving, $52,900.
Income you would need
$39,800 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $995 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,870 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $241,700.
Getting to work
33 minutes each way on average; 10.6% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Genoa, IL matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
9.8%
71% above the median place
Income of households moving out8
$52,940
25% below the median place
Income of households moving in8
$53,972
24% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureKingstonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure9.8%71% above
Moved from another state1County figure1.9%6% below
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure0.2above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$53,97224% below
Income of households moving out8County figure$52,94025% below
02

What it costs to live here

Property tax rate is 2.4%, 168% above the median place.

Kingston13.5%
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
$39,800
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
13.5%
34% below the median place
Home price to income
2.7x
28% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
14%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$74,700
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Kingston, $995 a month, and local prices for everything else (101.9 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Kingston? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Property tax rate1
2.4%
168% above the median place
Homeownership1
82.8%
25% above the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$5,905
81% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureKingstonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$99527% below
Rent to income113.5%34% below
Property tax rate12.4%168% above
Home price to income12.7x28% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure103.63% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,4818% below
HUD area median income4County figure$112,5005% above
Property tax paid (median)1$5,90581% above
Median home value1$241,70024% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure6.4%101% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure55.4%8% above
Homeownership182.8%25% above
Renters paying 30%+147.3%7% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,8700% below
Vacant homes1County figure5.1%28% below
Median year built119911% above
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Unemployment1
15.6%
219% above the median place
Mean commute1
33 min
32% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Poverty rate7.0% −35%
Works from home10.6% −15%
Median household income$88,295 +10%
Income per person$38,352 −4%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureKingstonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$88,29510% above
Income per person1$38,3524% below
Unemployment115.6%219% above
Average annual pay6County figure$59,42310% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure4.4%19% above
Jobs6County figure36,50676% below
Poverty rate17.0%35% below
Mean commute133 min32% above
Works from home110.6%15% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Bachelor's or higher is 11.7%, 63% below the median place.

Bachelor's or higher1
11.7%
63% below the median place
Homes with broadband1
96.3%
4% above the median place
Median age1
36.4
7% below the median place
All 9 people measures
MeasureKingstonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population11,3526646th largest
Population change since 20207-0.6%below (median 1.1%)
Median age136.47% below
Bachelor's or higher111.7%63% below
High school or higher192.9%1% above
Household size12.66% above
Born abroad1County figure6.4%27% below
No health insurance1County figure5.1%20% below
Homes with broadband196.3%4% above
05

Life in Kingston

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents14.8 +45%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k14.8 +33%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars19.8 −5%
Shops25.5 −16%
Arts, recreation and fitness3.9 −5%
Doctors' offices and clinics15.6 −23%
Child care centers1.4 −39%

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

Public schools12
1
89% below the median place
Public school students12
310
94% below the median place
Students per teacher12
11.5
25% below the median place
All 15 schools and local life measures
MeasureKingstonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12189% below
Public school students1231094% below
Students per teacher1211.525% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure19.85% below
Shops per 10k9County figure25.516% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure3.95% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure15.623% below
Child care centers per 10k9County figure1.439% below
Parks per 10k1014.845% above
Playgrounds per 10k100.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k100.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1014.833% above
Libraries per 10k100.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails100.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi100.0below (median 0.2)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 0, below the median place (median 192).

Violent crime per 100k
0
below the median place (median 192)
Property crime per 100k
183
85% below the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Wildfire risk14
6.4
90% below the median place
Good air days15
29.9%
56% below the median place
January average low13
14°F
45% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureKingstonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure83°F4% below
January average low13County figure14°F45% below
Average temperature13County figure49°F11% below
Annual precipitation13County figure37.5 in14% below
Natural hazard risk14County figure80.813% below
Hurricane risk14County figure19.672% below
Tornado risk14County figure88.18% above
Wildfire risk14County figure6.490% below
Heat wave risk14County figure59.035% below
Median air quality index15Metro figure5630% above
Good air days15Metro figure29.9%56% below
08

Kingston in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 14% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 14% now.

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 rent$995/mo (2024)$1,270/mo$1,050 to $1,550/mo+4.2%
Median household income$88,295 (2024)$110,500$93,500 to $130,500+3.8%
Median home value$241,700 (2024)$346,000$251,000 to $476,000+6.1%
Population1,103 (2025)1,1101,060 to 1,150+0.0%

The median home would be worth 3.1 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.7 now.

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

09

Places like Kingston

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

PlaceRentIncome
Genoa, IL$940$82,128Compare
Troy, MO$1,033$79,012Compare
Coalinga, CA$1,093$75,451Compare
Fort Stockton, TX$974$84,784Compare
Fort Stockton, TXCoalinga, CATroy, MOGenoa, ILKingston, ILKingstonGenoaTroyCoalingaFort StocktonKingstonGenoaTroyCoalingaFort Stockton

Common questions

Is Kingston a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Unemployment averaged 15.6% over the survey period, higher than in 97% of the 1,242 places under 10,000 people we track. 12% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a smaller share than in 93% of places its size. On cost, space and class size it scores 98 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Kingston expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 13.5% 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 $241,700.

What salary do you need to live in Kingston?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $39,800 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Kingston safe?

There were 0 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Kingston?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Genoa, IL, Troy, MO, Coalinga, CA and Fort Stockton, TX.

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. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. 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.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 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
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

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

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

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