Living in Quincy, IL

Adams County

Quincy is Illinois's own historic Mississippi River 'Gem City' -- a genuinely distinct downstate identity from every other Illinois Tier A market built in this project. More than 3,500 preserved historic structures span four National Historic Register Districts, anchored by two real, currently-operating landmarks: Villa Kathrine, a 1900 Mediterranean Revival villa restored between 1978 and 1998, and the John Wood Mansion, an 1835-1838 Greek Revival home built by Illinois's future 12th governor. Quincy carries a real, honest, gradual population decline this record discloses rather than omits -- from 40,633 residents in 2010 to 39,463 in 2020, roughly -2.9%, with a separately-cited 2023 estimate (39,188) suggesting the modest decline has continued -- a real river-city pattern structurally distinct from DeKalb's sharper, university-enrollment-linked decline. Quincy's economy runs on a real, diversified manufacturing-and-healthcare base: Titan International (Titan Tire), Blessing Hospital, and Quincy Public Schools are the city's top three employers. Housing runs genuinely, substantially affordable (Zillow's approximately $176,705 average home value, well below both the Illinois and national figures), though Quincy's own effective property tax rate (2.17%, Ownwell) runs above Illinois's already-high 1.88% statewide average. As a Mississippi River city, Quincy carries real, historically significant flood risk this record discloses honestly -- the 1993 Great Flood reached 31.3 feet at Quincy, part of a documented string of historic flood years -- exactly the river-town flood exposure Illinois's own statewide climate research names Quincy for specifically.

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Housing

Median sale price$176,705

Zillow's own home-values figure for Quincy ran approximately $176,705.

Taxes

Local effective property tax rate2.17%

Not independently sourced at the Adams County level this session. Illinois's top state income tax rate is 4.95%. See the Illinois hub page for the statewide property tax context -- do not treat that figure as Quincy-specific.

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The tradeoffs

Pros

Genuinely, substantially affordable housing (Zillow's approximately $176,705 average home value) well below both Illinois and national medians; a real, distinct preserved-architecture 'Gem City' identity (3,500+ historic structures, Villa Kathrine, the John Wood Mansion); a real, diversified manufacturing-and-healthcare economy (Titan International, Blessing Hospital); and Illinois's real, simple flat 4.95% state income tax with its substantial full retirement-income exemption.

Cons

A real, honest, gradual multi-decade population decline (40,633 to 39,463, roughly -2.9%, since 2010) this record does not paper over; a real, elevated effective property tax rate (2.17%) above Illinois's own already-high statewide average; and real, historically significant Mississippi River flood risk for river-adjacent property, requiring separate flood-insurance research beyond a standard homeowners policy.

Who this fits

Best for: Best fits affordability-focused buyers and first-time homebuyers drawn to Quincy's genuinely low purchase prices, small-town-living seekers interested in a real, distinct preserved-architecture river-city identity distinct from Chicago-metro suburbs, and anyone whose relocation research specifically involves Quincy's Titan International/Blessing Hospital manufacturing-and-healthcare economy.

Maybe not for you if: Probably not the right fit for anyone prioritizing population-growth momentum, given Quincy's real, gradual, multi-decade decline, or budgeting on housing purchase price alone without accounting for Quincy's real, elevated effective property tax rate and the real, additional cost of flood insurance for river-adjacent property specifically.

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Last reviewed: 2026-08-25. Independent research; see individual metric entries above for source attribution. This is not financial, tax, or legal advice -- confirm current figures with a local professional before making a decision.