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Cost of living, pay and housing

38.49° N · 89.15° W · GEOID 1778721

Wamac

Clinton County, Illinois · part of the St. Louis, MO metro

Limited data population under 5,000

IllinoisWamac, ILWamacWamac

The short answer

Wamac is home to 804 people. Median household income is $36,500 a year and median rent is $787 a month, 25.9% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is moderate. The median home is valued at $20,100, about 0.6x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$787
42% below the median place
Median household income
$36,500
55% below the median place
Median home value
$20,100
94% below the median place
Unemployment
3.4%
30% below 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 Wamac

  • The median home is worth 0.6 years of the median household's income, fewer than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 335 Illinois places.
  • After the median rent, and with prices for everything else adjusted to the US average, the median household has about $27,500 a year left, less than in 98% of places its size.
  • Owning with a mortgage costs about $52 a month less than the median rent, which is rarer than in 95% of places its size.
  • 27.7% of residents live below the poverty line, more than in 93% of places its size.
  • Median rent is $787 a month, lower than in 89% of places its size.
01

Moving to Wamac

Clinton County loses about 4.2 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in1,208
Moved out1,344
Net−136

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Washington County, IL2873−45

Within Illinois, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within IllinoisOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$53K
Leavers$57K

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

Who moves here
7.6% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.8% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Clinton County report $52,900 a year in income on average; those leaving, $56,700, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$31,500 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $787 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $735 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $20,100.
Getting to work
22 minutes each way on average; 12.6% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Aliquippa, PA matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
7.6%
32% above the median place
Income of households moving in8
$52,882
25% below the median place
Income of households moving out8
$56,722
19% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureWamacAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year17.6%32% above
Moved from another state1County figure1.8%12% below
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure-4.2below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$52,88225% below
Income of households moving out8County figure$56,72219% below
02

What it costs to live here

Home price to income is 0.6x, 86% below the median place.

Wamac25.9%
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
$31,480
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
25.9%
27% above the median place
Home price to income
0.6x
86% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
26%
just under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$28,000
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Wamac, $787 a month, and local prices for everything else (98.4 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 Wamac.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Wamac? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Median home value1
$20,100
94% below the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$735
61% below the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$400
88% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureWamacAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$78742% below
Rent to income125.9%27% above
Property tax rate12.0%119% above
Home price to income10.6x86% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure95.16% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,34916% below
HUD area median income4County figure$113,5006% above
Property tax paid (median)1$40088% below
Median home value1$20,10094% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure5.5%72% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure48.2%6% below
Homeownership170.2%6% above
Renters paying 30%+142.2%17% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$73561% below
Vacant homes1County figure7.6%7% above
Median year built119651% below
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%)
Median household income1
$36,500
55% below the median place
Income per person1
$22,594
44% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureWamacAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$36,50055% below
Income per person1$22,59444% below
Unemployment1County figure3.4%30% below
Average annual pay6County figure$53,83618% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure7.3%97% above
Jobs6County figure12,72592% below
Poverty rate127.7%157% above
Mean commute122 min12% below
Works from home1County figure12.6%1% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Median age is 46.7, 20% above the median place.

Median age1
46.7
20% above the median place
High school or higher1
81.2%
12% below the median place
Household size1
2.2
14% below the median place
All 9 people measures
MeasureWamacAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population18046646th largest
Population change since 20207-2.4%below (median 1.1%)
Median age146.720% above
Bachelor's or higher1County figure25.9%19% below
High school or higher181.2%12% below
Household size12.214% below
Born abroad1County figure2.4%73% below
No health insurance19.6%50% above
Homes with broadband189.0%4% below
05

Life in Wamac

2 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars22.2 +7%
Shops36.8 +21%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.3 +5%
Doctors' offices and clinics15.7 −22%
Child care centers3.8 +65%

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

Child care centers per 10k9
3.8
65% above the median place
Shops per 10k9
36.8
21% above the median place
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9
15.7
22% below the median place
All 9 schools and local life measures
MeasureWamacAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools11County figure19111% above
Public school students11County figure5,2788% above
Students per teacher11County figure13.711% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure22.27% above
Shops per 10k9County figure36.821% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure4.35% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure15.722% below
Child care centers per 10k9County figure3.865% above
National Register listings10County figure285% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Wildfire risk is 7.9, 87% 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 Wamac. Larger places are fetched first.

Wildfire risk13
7.9
87% below the median place
Good air days14
31.2%
54% below the median place
Median air quality index14
56
30% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureWamacAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high12County figure88°F1% above
January average low12County figure23°F10% below
Average temperature12County figure56°F1% above
Annual precipitation12County figure43.1 in2% below
Natural hazard risk13County figure65.629% below
Hurricane risk13County figure33.353% below
Tornado risk13County figure65.819% below
Wildfire risk13County figure7.987% below
Heat wave risk13County figure77.214% below
Median air quality index14Metro figure5630% above
Good air days14Metro figure31.2%54% below
08

Wamac in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 26% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 26% 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$787/mo (2024)$1,000/mo$820 to $1,220/mo+4.1%
Median household income$36,500 (2024)$46,000$39,000 to $54,500+4.0%
Median home value$20,100 (2024)$25,000$18,000 to $34,000+3.6%
Population962 (2025)960920 to 1,000−0.1%

The median home would be worth 0.5 years of the median income in 2030, against 0.6 now.

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

09

Places like Wamac

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

PlaceRentIncome
Aliquippa, PA$821$50,188Compare
Shiloh, OH$883$45,874Compare
Titusville, PA$662$38,194Compare
Tucumcari, NM$704$31,844Compare
Tucumcari, NMTitusville, PAShiloh, OHAliquippa, PAWamac, ILWamacAliquippaShilohTitusvilleTucumcariWamacAliquippaShilohTitusvilleTucumcari

Common questions

Is Wamac a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. The median home is worth 0.6 years of the median household's income, fewer than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 335 Illinois places. After the median rent, and with prices for everything else adjusted to the US average, the median household has about $27,500 a year left, less than in 98% of places its size. On cost, space and class size it scores 26 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Wamac expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 25.9% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $20,100.

What salary do you need to live in Wamac?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $31,480 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Wamac?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Aliquippa, PA, Shiloh, OH, Titusville, PA and Tucumcari, NM.

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. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  11. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  12. 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
  13. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  14. 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 Wamac with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Wamac itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/wamac-illinois

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

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