Cost of Living in Edwardsville
Edwardsville's cost of living centers on a real, disclosed housing-cost premium over both Illinois's statewide average and this batch's three other downstate markets, layered on Illinois's own already-elevated statewide property and sales tax burden.
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Learn moreHousing costs above the Illinois statewide average
Edwardsville's average home value was $320,541 as of February 28, 2026 (Zillow, up 4.6% year-over-year) -- meaningfully above Illinois's own statewide average of $294,136 (illinois.js). A separate Redfin median sale price was $280,000 (March 2026, up 8.9% YoY), and figures across sources reviewed this pass ranged from roughly $255,805 to $331,897, a real, disclosed spread rather than one falsely precise number.
A property tax rate above even Illinois's own high statewide burden
Edwardsville's city-specific effective property tax rate is 2.17% (Ownwell), above Madison County's own 1.92% county-wide average and above Illinois's own statewide average of 1.88% (illinois.js) -- inside a state already tied for the nation's highest average effective rate.
A combined sales tax reaching 8.85% in parts of the city
Edwardsville's combined sales tax rate runs from a real 7.6% floor up to 8.85% depending on ZIP code and special taxing district (6.25% Illinois state + 0.35% Madison County + 1% city + 1.25% special district in the highest-taxed areas).
Illinois's flat income tax and retirement exemption apply statewide
Illinois's simple flat 4.95% income tax on wages, and its real, no-threshold exemption of Social Security, pension, and 401(k)/IRA income, apply in Edwardsville exactly as documented statewide in illinois.js -- not an Edwardsville-specific advantage or disadvantage.
Key takeaways
- Average home value ($320,541) runs above Illinois's own $294,136 statewide average -- a real, disclosed premium.
- Effective property tax rate (2.17%) runs above both Madison County's 1.92% average and Illinois's own 1.88% statewide figure.
- Combined sales tax reaches 8.85% in parts of the city, depending on the specific taxing district.
- Illinois's flat 4.95% income tax and full retirement-income exemption apply statewide, not as an Edwardsville-specific feature.
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