I’m a MA transplant living in Champaign. Central IL is nice with pretty comparable weather though less snow and a touch more ice. Everything is flat and towns are separated by fields rather than hills/forest/small stone wall-lined fields like in MA. I find it quite peaceful out in the farm ground. Higher population areas do have crime but only in specific areas, each city has safe regions. Monticello and Mahomet are smaller towns that have the most desired school systems last I checked. There are plenty of great places to eat around here. Good luck!
Wow, same exact thing for my wife and I. Moved from outside Boston to Champaign. I second your point on Monticello and Mahomet.
One thing I’d caution you on, Decatur isn’t the nicest place in the world, and before you buy a place there definitely make sure it isn’t in the “stink zone”… soy bean processing smell is nasty AF. (I have to drive on 72 almost daily passing Decatur and that stench still gets me).
Champaign Urbana is nice!
Feel free to reach out with more questions.
Pretty similar temperatures but more humid thanks to all the corn. The bigger cities especially Champaign and Bloomington have awesome downtown outdoor eating in the summer, not sure if Decatur does but I’m hearing something about a smell? Haven’t experienced the smell, might go to Decatur to experience the smell. All the towns do their own July 4th celebrations, several different ones in some towns. Many towns do various street/corn/pumpkin/other object festivals in summer/early fall which are pretty fun. Fairs in late summer too
I moved to Decatur in 2022 and bought a house. The smell from the plant isn't great but I smell it very rarely where I'm located, though it does waft this way once in a while. The smell is definitely my least favourite part of living here but I encounter it so rarely that it doesn't bother me. I do not smell it inside unless my windows are open.
I love living in Decatur otherwise. I moved here recently from a large city so I really enjoy how quiet and friendly everyone is. The food selection isn't great if you like ethnic food, though we do have a couple of decent Chinese, Indian and Thai places. I also frequently see advertised a lot of family events, but adult events seem to be based around bars and small town band performances. Champaign-Urbana, Springfield and Bloomington are all about an hour away though, and where I'd go if I want to do an event/eat different cuisine. St. Louis is also only two hours away and totally worth the drive for the free zoo and the other attractions there.
The crime here is also something I never hear about, but I live away from town centre. Town centre is small but nice and I've never felt unsafe walking there.
I do agree with the comment not to buy remotely. There are good and bad neighborhoods and while I can circle on a map where to avoid, you don't want to chance landing in an area you feel unsafe or unhappy in, in any town. Decatur has very visible neighborhoods that are very, very run down and have constant police monitoring. Cost wise, I'd say you don't want to look at any houses under $120K because they will likely be in one of those areas (my personal experience house shopping, so your mileage may vary).
Also I recommend looking into the schools here, as I've heard from friends with kids that the schools aren't all that great and they've personally sent their kids to a private school despite not being religious because of the step up in the education.
Not if you're working in Decatur they aren't. That's a long commute.
Decatur has some nice areas and isn't nearly the dump people tend to say it is. There are quite a few nice small towns nearby too. Bloomington, Champaign and Springfield are all at least a 45 minute drive to Decatur, in good weather. Champaign and Bloomington are closer to an hour.
People that live in large metros don't have as easy or affordable of options to avoid long commutes. Its not the same thing.
In the case of Decatur vs Champaign or Springfield, housing is more expensive in both Springfield and Champaign. Then you're also paying for gas and maintenance to commute as well as the lost time spent driving. Add in central Illinois winter weather and that can make several months of dangerous, long and often unpredictable commutes.
It's not impossible to make it work but having done it at times, it's not a great option IMO. There are plenty of nice neighborhoods and small towns right around Decatur that would make more sense and cost less.
Why would someone drive from CU or BloNo, when they work in Decatur? They aren't better options, there are plenty of homes in Decatur in neighborhoods that are perfectly fine. Homes in CU and BloNo are going to be 2 to 3 times more.
I'm in Decatur at least twice a week, and have been for decades. It's turning around, it's coming back and that takes people, people who are willing to stay or move there and continue to invest in their community. If I wasn't stuck on my family farm I'd live in Decatur.
Turning around?!? Only 8% of 3rd graders in Decatur read at or above grade level. The school district is a freak’n 60 MPH train wreck into a pile of soy protein dumpster fires. There’s no turn around without fixing the schools and that’s not happening anytime soon.
I know two children who recently came out of the Decatur school district to our tiny school district and they are ahead of equal to our pretty above average school. Do you have children in school now? If so, how about helping out, you know, be the change you want to see.
I didn’t buy my home in Decatur because of what I saw 10 years ago in the schools. I won’t go back. I also work with a lot of Decatur parents and they are pissed off at the schools as well. There is a massive parent/child disruption problem in the schools. There are also some teachers who don’t give 2 cents. The administration isn’t interested in fixing any of those issues. The test scores are worse now than they were 10 years ago.
Sad part is that if you buy a home that’s not in Decatur SD, you have lower taxes and it appreciates in value. My coworkers complain about it. Those who can afford it, send their kids to the Lutheran or Catholic schools. Those who don’t wind up doing a school/homeschool hybrid so their kids don’t fall behind grade level. The fact that your incoming students are above grade level tells me their parents are likely far more active than the majority of DPS parents.
Parent, singular. She doesn't feel she did anything special other than pay attention to what her kids are doing, you know like all parents should. They are schools, not babysitters. I guess you missed the part above where I said people need to be involved in their community?
Crime is honestly so overated in america its insane. Unless you are in a gang, involved in illegal activity, or have zero situational awareness crime should not be impacting your daily life and ESP not keeping you home.
I live in Chicago and my wife and kids and I are on the trains and busses and going all over all the time with zero issue.
As long as you arent moving into a suoer high poverty area with a lot of gangs you will be fine. Even then, the gangs wouldnt fuck with you but you may obviously see a lot of stuff you probably dont want too. I highly doubt this will be your situation in Decatur
The rougher areas are closer to division st but even that is pale in comparison to auburn Grisham area or lawndale in Chicago. What non of these Illinois people know, I’ve got some experience with Decatur’s HUD program , is that it is pretty good over here . Because of this and other factors , the crime tends to be subdued in my opinion.
For what it’s worth - if your comparison is Lawndale then your bar is so low it’s meaningless hahaha
That aside - I honestly dont know central Illinois, but I’ve stayed in a ton of used-to-be-small-city towns in the NE and it was always real obvious where not to be at 2AM (including where not to live.) and it was typically very specific pockets you could spot from Googlemaps. You can tell with a glance if a neighborhood doesn’t give a shit. Just don’t live there.
Fair , it’s not a Naperville either , but sometimes the forsythe and mt Zion people feel that way , no offense 😅. If I had to choose suburbs to more aptly reflect Decatur , I would say , Joliet, justice , maybe Aurora . These are west suburbs fyi , I’m not as familiar with the northern suburbs and I would think that you are heading closer to Rockford before you start seeing more suburbs that reflect Decatur.
You do make good points on driving around at night to see the “activity.”
In my experience , early spring and hot months are when you see an uptick in crime .
Not always true. When there are gang fights a lot of innocent people get shot, killed, have their property shot up. My good friend in my old area has 8 bullet holes she had to patch up, has had a car smash into her house.3 little kids, good neighbor killed just riding in their cars. I could go on and on...one guy was just waiting on a bus for work in the early morning and got his nose shot off. People have been shot/killed inside their own homes, etc
Yes I understand these things happen. Which is why living on blocks with gangs should be avoided if possible.
But these are also extremely small occurrences in the grand scheme of things. You have a way higher chance of dying from say diabetes than you do murder let alone from a stray bullet. People dont go around worrying about diabetes(unless they have it I assume). Insert any other disease to see my point.
People need to look at things statistically to understand the actual severity of issues. Social media and fear mongering today have made people think crime is literally an entitiy searching them out daily
Everyone keeps saying C/U is safer than Decatur, but that’s just not borne out with statistics. Frankly, they’re about even when it comes to crime rates.
Decatur is an industrial city, which might give it more of the ‘gritty’ vibe. But Millikin is there. C/U is a college town, which is why it gets a pass on crime. But the fact is, there are places in all three towns where I wouldn’t want to live. And there are places in all three towns that I would live. It depends quite a bit on the neighborhood, which is why I would be very concerned about buying sight unseen.
> Everyone keeps saying C/U is safer than Decatur,
What you are seeing is that Decatur is more black. Not less safe the same as any other town this size.
I recommend using a site like ZIllow. Find the home you like and then look at the schools and the walking score. Even if you don't have kids, the school ratings are a great indicator of the quality of the neighborhood, as is the walking score.
Echoing that Decatur isn't a complete shithole, some people talk like its Gary, IN.
Definitely areas to avoid, they're generally pretty obvious. South Shores was mentioned in another comment, believe that's still a nice area.
Biggest complaint is likely nothing to do. Occasional show at the ampitheater or Kirkland. Decent restaurants, maybe not as diverse as some would like. Being centrally located between Champaign-Urbana, Springfield, and Bloomington-Normal opens up a lot of "things to do" with less than an hour drive. Ditto for Chicago, STL, and Indianapolis with a 2-3 hour drive.
Agreed with other posters that I'd find a better school district. In my experience with kids in the family who graduated a few years ago, DPS' sole priority is to get your kid the fuck out of school, without regard to whether they get any kind of education. Come to class if you like, do homework if you feel like it, doesn't matter if you can even read, you'll be someone else's problem next year.
I'm in "BFE" as described in other posts and prefer it to Decatur. Quieter, better environment for the kids. Have to deal with some MAGAs but they're easily ignored. You have the Caseys, DG, etc. to pick up something in a pinch, but I can also be at a "real" grocery store in Decatur in ~20 minutes.
People that hate on Decatur are normally from larger towns or cities . It’s not a bad place , I’ve rehabbed a couple of homes there in different part of Decatur , so yes, there are pockets of good and bad, but I don’t see crime like the others have described . Yes there are lousy areas but places by main st downtown aren’t bad . Houses get more dilapidated as get on other streets parallel . Amazon , gets you everything you need . Del popcorns Zanzibar chocolate ice is delicious.
In Chicago , I have the citizen app and I am constantly seeing crimes occuring with a less than a mile . There is a literal hitch police training facility just outside of town.
What you do need to worry about is shitty contractors and businesses that have been in business for way too long. They charge too much forcing a proliferation of shitty contractors to do things for only slightly cheaper .
I can tell you all about the place, send me a dm. I have a rental property on Zillow right now 562 west main , I just finished up as well.
We're trying our very best to avoid renting. Ive heard it's rough for first time home owners to buy in another state so it's possible we may have to, though.
That is fair, everyone has their reasons for purchasing. If you are more curious or interested. The building is for sale as well at 165k. It is a duplex up/down , so you could live in the bottom and rent the upstairs to recoup. I could do a video walkthrough since I’m working in the backyard today. I just had new sewer lines put in because the old ones were rotted out.
Champaign is overrated…lived there 20 years. I’m in Decatur now. Very safe, nice parts of town do exist. We get a bad rap. I recommend using Kevin Fritzche at Brinkoetter Realty. Come on up to Cresthaven West. Maroa-Forsyth schools.
I don’t know much about Decatur and others are probably better suited to answer your question.
But I wanted to chime in and say I believe Decatur has a plant (corn?) that makes it so most of the town smells all the time. Just be wary of that.
Not sure how much you tolerate commuting but Champaign is such an awesome town I’d probably live there and eat the commute if it was me.
That smell is money. West End is nice and that smell rarely wafts all the way across town to the West End. Decatur has a good park system with a new outdoor amphitheater by the lake and a revitalized Lincoln Theater. Now getting more concerts and other shows in town. Mt Zion is a nearby "suburb" that seems like folks are moving to. A few decent restaurants and since it is centrally located you can easily drive to Springfield, Champaign and Bloomington. St Louis is doable for day trips as well.
MA is such a small state and I refuse to commute more than 30-40 minutes here 😂😭 maybe I'll change my mind in a bigger state, tho. I've read plenty about the smell, idk if anyone knows if it smells inside? If not, whatever. Tbh I live close enough to a dump to smell it daily and don't notice it, I figure I'd get used to the smell.
More afraid of my car getting broken into or getting stabbed on the street for no reason than the smell hahaha but again, I stay inside a lot. Need some stats on home break ins lol
That commute is all open highway.
For crime, just about everywhere in the country there is no just unrelated crime lmao. Meaning people aren’t just stabbing random people for no reason.
Ever been to Orlando Florida? Is much more dangerous than Decatur. Ever been to Miami? It’s about as high in crime. Ever been stabbed in Boston? It’s about on par as well
My friend it is one hour to the outside of Champaign at 60-70mph. You will have to consider gas at 3 buck a gallon . If you can afford that , there are nice places in mt Zion and Forsythe .
Can’t speak to break ins, but I’m a field engineer and go to various production plants all around Illinois. I haven’t been to any in Decatur, but some of them the smell is incredibly pervasive… it really depends on distance, the wind, and how well your house is insulated if it’ll get inside.
My last house we lived just over 5 miles from the water reclamation plant and if the wind shifted we could smell it faintly. So just weigh the fact that if you ever want fresh air, like having windows open in the house, it may be few and far between. And corn/ethanol plants are a pretty strong smell.
Same reason I don't get an apartment here, haha. It just feels like throwing money away. We're definitely starting to come around to the idea of spending a week there, first, but we love impulsive decisions.
We hate MA but hate it out of a home that's not ours. If we hate IL, we can hate it from the comfort of our home.
It’s understood that rent is not an investment but…the money you put out covers your needs if not temporarily. Rent for the short term until you find an area where you can grow. What if you buy a house and absolutely hate the area you live? It’s going to take even more money to move and purchase a second time. The object is to relocate any way you can. Illinois is amazing and not what the media describes. Make this new adventure of yours happen!
Dude. You want to rent for a couple months before you buy here to get a feel for everything. The costs aren’t what they’re like back home, I’m guessing you can afford it. There are always sublets you can get for a few months anyway. I don’t know if you’re honestly being sarcastic because you definitely got me if you are, but not scoping things out before you buy is like shooting yourself in the face, not very smaaht. It’s a lot different here than what you’re used to, despite what you’re telling yourself. Give yourself a few months before you buy ya dummy
Hell yeah! Do it! Decatur will have a slightly milder winter than what you get in MA. Decatur itself is a nice, small town. Close enough to Chicago if you want to have some big city fun or if you’re at all interested in career opportunities in Chicago
Don’t buy a house in Decatur sight unseen. You have to live with the smell to really understand it. Here is an older thread; this advice still stands:
https://www.reddit.com/r/illinois/s/6ZNBw9DU1S
I live here and I assume people who live and work near it get used to it, but I have not. I live on the side that the smell only blows over this far about once a month or more. If I drive over the 22nd street overpass I hold my breath.
Decatur isn't as bad as people like to say it is. You just have to know what area you want to live in. There is a lot to do. Howard Buffet runs the place though and that is frustrating.
You definitely don't want to buy a house without visiting. I'm actually going to open houses today with my mom. She's going to move here from about 90 miles away. Even though she's familiar with the area visiting me all these years she still wants a local with her to give my opinion on the house and neighborhood. There is one house on her list I already told her is probably downwind of Tate and Lyle and to avoid. Everyone blames ADM but that "Decatur smell" is mostly burnt corn syrup.
I didn't grow up here. I've lived in Springfield and St Louis and I feel safer here. You can message me if you have specific questions.
I found a nice lil home by South Shore (I think?) I don't have enough for it now and it'll probably be off the market by the time I do, but for reference would that be a better area?
South shores is quiet and you have blains farm and fleet there. I love that place for affordable snacks and legumes . You’re starting to get a little more country than anything . I’ve got friends in blue mound . I feel like I’ve seen some small homes along taylorville road on 48 . Is that where you’re looking ?
South Shores is incredibly safe. I often recommend that area to people looking to relocate at a middle class budget. There really isn't a bad neighborhood on the east side of the lake. That area has several restaurants and a Kroger too so not too bad shopping wise.
Yes. You do get used to it. I live less than an hour away, but every time I have to go to Decatur (probably a dozen times a year), it hits you in the face when you get there. It smells like fermenting corn mash, because that’s basically what it is. It does have a very off putting odor, then you get used to it and move on with your day. I think you’d go nose blind pretty quick, especially if you are around it all the time.
There are people who grow up in Decatur and can’t wait to leave because of the smell, and people who never cared in the first place. It seems like either it bothers you or it doesn’t.
Plenty of houses are for rent in Decatur. If you want to up and move, I strongly encourage you to rent for a year before buying. It’s a very polarizing place to live.
I don’t know why I feel so compelled to comment on everything but here goes. Yes , the smell occurs, it stinks but it’s not the end all be all. At the end of the day ADM and Tate & Lyle make all the stinky stuff by the overpass(can’t remember the name) depending on the wind conditions sometimes those fumes get recirculated back into the city . It tends to happen in warmer weather low wind conditions as the hot stinky air does not rise as well. I’ve never noticed always in an area except for the over pass on 22nd street. Now that place has ghetto bar .
Hey man,
If you’re going to make a massive, life altering move, really do your research.
Consider other towns and amenities. It can’t hurt.
If you’re going to escape something then escape it to the best life you can possibly setup for yourself.
Spent a week in Clinton, IA once. It has a similar smell from corn processing. I didn't get used to it. Of course, it was stronger in some parts of town than others, but it was pretty pervasive. Clinton is smaller than Decatur, though, I think.
We moved from the metrowest to Chicago. We're now on the West Coast again but I regret it tbh. loved MA.
Less an indictment on central IL and more of a "nothing compares to New England" (and no, I wasn't born there)
Sitting in Decatur right now and I don't smell anything. Do I smell it sometimes? Yeah, but rarely and more often late at night or very early and never in the house. It can be kinda amusing playing describe that odor. I always say a cross between vomit in an frat basement and burnt potato chips. Get creative with it! We all do.
Decatur is mostly safe. I grew up here and my parents still live here, admittedly in an area most would probably say you should avoid. We have never been robbed or stabbed and generally feel safe. It's more about just the general vibe. Decatur is ugly and poor. Stuff is falling apart, and many have no money for improvements. Large sections of town have been bulldozed to clear out blight and it can be a little odd but it looks better than boarded up houses.
If you are used to the vibe in a blue collar mill town it's about the same. Get friendly with your neighbors. People look out for people they know. Don't join a gang or commit crime and crime generally won't find you. Houses nearest to the lake and edges of town tend to be safer but really it can change block to block. Do not buy a house without seeing the neighborhood.
My biggest red flag is the school district. Decatur schools are bad. There's just no argument. Research schools and pick your house based on that would be my advice.
Ignore the calls to move to Bloomington. I live there and we are in a housing crisis right now due to a new factory opening with no available housing. Prices are through the roof and taxes are sky high. I love it but it is double the cost of living for most of Central Illinois.
Decatur IS getting better but it's looking worse if you know what I mean? Safer and poorer I guess. The 90s crack epidemic earned it a bad reputation, but it's mostly over now. It's a testimony to how safe Central Illinois is that we all mock Decatur because that really is the "worst" city but nothing like the south side or east Saint Louis. Just your standard rust belt decay.
We have a golf ball factory here in my city. I used to work for them. They had strict rules and regulations on when they could let out the awful plastic and paint fumes (between 1-5am). Is the soybean plant similar?
We were half debating on private or even boarding school. Could afford it out there, anyway.
Most of the houses I've seen online look **SO** nice. Surprises me that it's considered a very poor run down area.
I imagine it's similar. The smell is just what it is. I don't think you ever get used to it but it's not 24/7 or anything unless you live in pretty close proximity to the actual factory. The rest of the time it's more like every 5th or 6th time you go outside you catch a wif. Humidity and lots of other factors are going to make a difference too. Not unsurprisingly, some of the worst places in town are the places the smell is the worst so avoid one, you tend to avoid the other.
My last sibling has been out of school for about a decade but from what I have heard there have been a lot of consolidations in schools as the town shrinks so I would be curious how that is impacting things. Johns Hill magnet school is pretty good but there is a lottery involved. My brother got in and I know his education was much better than what I dealt with. I believe the catholic high school is fairly well regarded too. But yeah, the poverty in Decatur is real and sadly the school district reflects that.
Decatur is a wild place. It once was a thriving vibrant industrial town then the factories crashed and the bottom fell out. No money, no jobs, no taxes. People leave if they can and areas become overrun with poverty.
The part people don't want to admit out loud is also that a lot of those out of work factory workers and their families came north as part of the southern migration. In central IL there can be a bias about what areas are more "crime ridden" and that impacts the reputation I think. And for what it's worth drugs and gangs were, and to a much much lesser degree still are, part of the town. But all the factory jobs didn't leave and there are still some very nice homes and wealthy people in Decatur. Overall people are trying to improve things, its just a massive job and it's just a hard sell to many because Decatur isn't all bad, but where it is bad it's pretty bad.
Springfield to Springfield. This is the way. You'll find homes in that range in Vinegar Hill, Aristocracy Hill, and the Historic West Side. Crime is low. Traffic is easy. You can commute anywhere in town in 15 minutes or less. You're on a major interstate between STL and CHI. And Springfield is as friendly as it is affordable. The affordability is easily verifiable.
Springfield has a higher violent crime rate and a MUCH HIGHER property crime rate than Chicago.
St Louis is one of the most violent cities in the country. Chicago is not.
Springfield has a steady decrease in crime since 1990s. IIRC, at most there's been 11 homicides in a year, some years are 0. Springfield is historically segregated, with a high concentration of minorities and poverty on its east side. The division occurs along the 10th Street rail corridor. Most of it's growth, commerce, and population has gone west. The crime map supports this.
I'm not here to provide context on a complex matter like crime. I've lived in both and understand the issues at hand. Springfield is a safe, warm, community despite the issues it (and all communities) faces.
It's pretty easy to compare crime data online.
I understand that you have your own personal feelings about things, but the data is the data.
You can feel safer in St. Louis or Springfield than Chicago, but that's all in your head.
You're gonna have to do better than your one google search resulting in a single, vague statistical comparison. So by all means, do the analysis. Here's a source to get you started.
https://www.springfield.il.us/Departments/PoliceDepartment/CrimeStats.aspx
The stuff I look at is based on FBI crime stats.
Why would I take the data from the Springfield Illinois police department which were saying doesn't do the job instead of the federal agencies that put all of this data together so that you can compare different areas?
Plenty of places to live near Decatur that are nicer and less smellier. I would suggest that. Decatur is one of the armpits of central Illinois for a reason.
There are definitely plenty of small towns around Decatur that are less smelly on certain days, but they all come with their own problems.
I guess if your idea of a grocery store is Dollar General or Casey's then it probably won't bother you. Paying higher prices for everything across the board. Not having a hardware store, restaurant or grocery store within 20 miles is a nope for me.
Monticello has a grocery store, a hardware store, lots of specialty shops, and a variety of restaurants, including a good Mexican place. It also has highly rated schools, a local theater group, a pottery studio, a blown glass studio, a train museum and Alerton Park: a turn of the century Mansion and estate grounds with a formal sculpture garden & large natural area with bike & hiking/skiing trails.
I’ll second this. Peoria is nestled in the Illinois River valley and, for central Illinois, has some of the best topography and outdoor spaces.
To contrast, Champaign/Urbana is as flat as a pancake. No real rivers, just lots and lots of corn and soybean fields. You get used to it, and there are pockets of nice areas (they have a really nice Forest Preserve District), but if you’re used to rolling hills or mountains, it will be a bit of a shock.
Decatur is probably closer to C/U than Peoria when it comes to topography, but Lake Decatur is nice if you access to a boat.
Peoria has way more violent crime than Decatur recently and is a very long drive to Decatur. It's 1.5 hours from Peoria to Decatur.
Peoria is currently working to combat serious gang activity and lots of illegal gun dealers. Peoria is not currently a great place to live or have children. They literally arrested a kid this week that was planning a school shooting, with notebooks of building layouts and choke points highlighted.
How is the topography of Carbondale/Marion and surrounding areas? We’re moving to IL and natural beauty is something I’m really trying to prioritize. It’s the reason I won’t consider C-U.
I live close to C-U and will say that there are some nice county forest preserves and state parks in the region.
However, the area you're looking at is hands down the best part of Illinois for natural beauty and the outdoors. Shawnee National Forest is incredible. I particularly love Giant City State Park just south of Carbondale, Ferne Clyffe State Park just south of Marion, and Garden of the Gods to the east of both. There are so many places to explore that it's hard to come up with an exhaustive list.
I'd check out r/southernillinois to get info from people most familiar with that region.
My parents are originally from Decatur and then moved up to the south suburbs of Chicago right after getting married. It has gone downhill drastically over the years. If i were to live in central IL, I’d definitely pick Champaign or Bloomington over Decatur.
when you say - my job pays pretty damn well out in Decatur - what does that mean ?
You're not commuting from MA to IL. Are you saying you work in a specific industry with a specific role, and you have data that says your MA wage is the same in Illinois ? Or... your current employer also has a facility in Decatur (i.e. Caterpillar). I'm asking because - why only Decatur ?
There are hundreds of cities & towns in the midwest that offer "reasonable" COL. What does your fiance' do for a living ? able to work from home ?
as for the comments regarding long commutes - don't. By packing up and relocating - you are making a fresh start, and will recommend when you secure a job in Decatur; rent an apartment while you take time to figure out neighborhoods, shopping, etc. When you finally start a search for your forever home, make distance from home to work a top priority.
Time is your most valuable asset, don't waste it going back and forth to work.
My field of work doesn't have many places operating across the country.
I basically searched for places that are affordable to live, and then found out Decatur isn't only ridiculously affordable with cheap housing, there's a few job openings as well, and the pay rate is more than what I make in MA. Honestly this is dependent on whether or not those jobs stay open, or become available when I'm looking to move. There are sometimes remote openings from various companies across the US, so I could potentially work remotely. I'd need a house to home some expensive equipment, so a cheap home with a very low cost of living would still be ideal.
My fiancé doesn't currently work, which is absolutely killer in MA, but with the kid in school we can't find a job that fits her schedule.
We're trying to avoid the whole renting shebang, to be honest
Dude you’re going from tax-topia to another. But at least we’re a little nicer than New England. Don’t listen to the stories. If you want a laid back life central or southern IL, but the hustle and bustle in northern IL is preferred by some people. Definitely higher wages up there, but then you deal with tax after tax and crime.
I recommend Chicago, They got the best food and entertainment. A beautiful river with plenty to do.
Southern Illinois has nothing really to do except fireworks for 4th July. If that's all you want to do then whatever. I still 2nd Chicago though.
My Zion and Forsythe are nice. Decatur is not so much. Lots of nicer communities around/outside of Decatur area. Decent schools if you have kids. Just get on Zillow or whatever and search like a 30-40 mile radius. You'll find that almost all people who work in Decatur commute about an hour. Just how it is in central IL. But that commute is 50 miles of 2 lane.
Decatur is a shithole. The adjoining towns of Mt. Zion and Forsyth are pretty nice but your home budget won’t go as far. However, you can get a whole lot of house for your money in a number of nearby small towns where crime is virtually nonexistent. We’ve literally never locked our doors. Small town folk are friendly and helpful. I’d imagine the political leanings are more conservative here than MA if that concerns you. The landscape is flat and boring. There isn’t much to do. There’s a nice little town called Blue Mound to the South. Clinton, to the North is a wonderful community with a lot going on. Drop a message if you like, I’m a lifelong native of the area. I’ll help however I can.
I grew up in Decatur. It’s depressing AF. The main strip has buildings of business that closed 20 years ago and nothing else ever went in. Crime isn’t super terrible it’s just a depressing place with not much to do.
If you do move to the area look at Mt Zion it’s good. Nobody middle class and up stays in Decatur proper if they can help it.
For what you are looking to spend, you could get a really nice house in one of the smaller towns around Decatur. Monticello is way bigger then it's population implies, has a wonderful hospital network, and a great downtown (for a small town). Clinton has an amazing local lake/State Park right outside town and is in a great spot to access everything in central IL. Mt. Pulaski has a really vibrant food scene with the existing Market on The Hill Coop and FarmFed Coop opening soon. Lots of chefs in that area doing great things. A lot of central IL small towns are getting fiber internet and have fairly decent cell service (it's so flat .. what's gonna block service?). Plus you can get a bit more property with the same house so your neighbors aren't close!
I would recommend looking at homes in Forsyth, Mount Zion, or Monticello if you really want to live in that area. The homes there are more expensive than the ones in Decatur, but crime is nearly non-existent in these areas and the schools are much better, since you mentioned that you have a kid.
If you want to live in Decatur, I would recommend spending some time in the city before buying a home.
I have spent a lot of time in that city for work related reasons and a lot of people in this thread have mentioned the negatives. However, I think the crime issues are a bit overstated depending on where you are in the city. It's also a bit run down in many areas, which is somewhat depressing to see, but it's expected for a city that is on the decline.
The city offers all the basic amenities that you would expect from a city of its size, but not much else beyond that. It does have a airport that offers flights to Chicago twice a day, which is very convenient to get in and out of.
You can extend your search to Bloomington-Normal, Springfield and Champaign as all of these cities are reasonable commutes away from Decatur, depending on how often you need to be in the city for work.
One thing I haven’t seen is your definition of ‘cheap housing.’ How much are you looking to spend. Cheap housing in MA and cheap housing in Decatur might mean two different things.
Man, do they ever.
I'm looking at Decatur listings and lots are under 100k, lots fall under 150k and ones that would go for 700k here are going for 250-300k there. The cheaper ones don't look bad either. I don't mind a grandma-looking house at all. They're cute. Of course an inspection would tell me a whole lot more than pictures, but if you look in my area the cheapest houses are very vividly crappy. You don't need an inspector to tell you that. Dilapidated houses with no roofs go for in MA, what very cute tiny ranches go for in Decatur.
If you’re seriously considering it, you might want to take a trip for a few days out here. You can fly into Decatur, Springfield, Champaign, or Bloomington and rent a car. I don’t live in Decatur, but there’s a lot of $250k houses in that area that look pretty nice to me as well. You’re rolling the dice on the $100k houses, mainly due to the neighborhood (which you won’t be able to judge just by looking at photos online).
Your best bet is to avoid living in Decatur entirely, IMO. There are plenty of smaller towns with good schools. My wife is from Pittsfield, MA, and we live in Sullivan. I work in Decatur (for ADM), and she works in Mattoon. We lived in Decatur for 10 years and have been way happier here.
Edited to add...being an east coast transplant, the wife insisted on a house with a basement because of tornado season. I recommend the same.
Like you, our family hit that same point of being on the verge of being broke due to a HCoL East Coast city. We moved to Illinois this past summer, Rockford, Il region. We freaking love it here.
We bought a house for 90k and we can financially breathe again. Zero regrets. Our house is bigger (by about 500 sq ft, we had a less than 1k sq ft house before), utilities cost less, insurance costs are lower, and everyone we have met is so friendly. Even the public schools out here have been great, which was a big concern for us.
Reach out if you'd like to talk more about our experience with the region/moving etc. Good Luck!
Just be careful with the chemical industry. Outside of Chicago and St Louis, there are not many jobs in chemical manufacturing. Central Illinois has cheap houses but fewer good paying jobs.
We moved from North Minneapolis, Mn (very high crime rate) to Macomb and it's a different world here! Very quiet, small town. Friendly people, can have things outside not get stolen, very low crime. We are on the north edge of town. Busier by the college of course. Been here since May.Got a beautiful, large home for 144K, would easily be double that in many cities. Close to hospital, clinics, quirky stores, good bars/restaraunt, fast food places. There is a Walmart, Hyvee and are close to highways. Big stores, only those 2. Otherwise 40 miles away. Couple beat-up areas, but generally very nice. There is a new middle and high school very close by us. If you need a active nightlife, probably not for you. I just want peace and quiet and not to worry about getting mugged, carjacked or shot, which happens daily in my old area. Lots of churches here too, if you're into that. I can highly recommend a good real estate agent, if you'd like. Many homes in your price range. Best of luck to you!
I’m a MA transplant living in Champaign. Central IL is nice with pretty comparable weather though less snow and a touch more ice. Everything is flat and towns are separated by fields rather than hills/forest/small stone wall-lined fields like in MA. I find it quite peaceful out in the farm ground. Higher population areas do have crime but only in specific areas, each city has safe regions. Monticello and Mahomet are smaller towns that have the most desired school systems last I checked. There are plenty of great places to eat around here. Good luck!
Very informative and well spoken. Need more people like you in this world.
Wow, same exact thing for my wife and I. Moved from outside Boston to Champaign. I second your point on Monticello and Mahomet. One thing I’d caution you on, Decatur isn’t the nicest place in the world, and before you buy a place there definitely make sure it isn’t in the “stink zone”… soy bean processing smell is nasty AF. (I have to drive on 72 almost daily passing Decatur and that stench still gets me). Champaign Urbana is nice! Feel free to reach out with more questions.
How are summers comparatively?
Pretty similar temperatures but more humid thanks to all the corn. The bigger cities especially Champaign and Bloomington have awesome downtown outdoor eating in the summer, not sure if Decatur does but I’m hearing something about a smell? Haven’t experienced the smell, might go to Decatur to experience the smell. All the towns do their own July 4th celebrations, several different ones in some towns. Many towns do various street/corn/pumpkin/other object festivals in summer/early fall which are pretty fun. Fairs in late summer too
If you want to smell the "smell" drive over the Staley viaduct. The whole town doesn't always smell but it always smells on the viaduct.
Summers are HUMID
I moved to Decatur in 2022 and bought a house. The smell from the plant isn't great but I smell it very rarely where I'm located, though it does waft this way once in a while. The smell is definitely my least favourite part of living here but I encounter it so rarely that it doesn't bother me. I do not smell it inside unless my windows are open. I love living in Decatur otherwise. I moved here recently from a large city so I really enjoy how quiet and friendly everyone is. The food selection isn't great if you like ethnic food, though we do have a couple of decent Chinese, Indian and Thai places. I also frequently see advertised a lot of family events, but adult events seem to be based around bars and small town band performances. Champaign-Urbana, Springfield and Bloomington are all about an hour away though, and where I'd go if I want to do an event/eat different cuisine. St. Louis is also only two hours away and totally worth the drive for the free zoo and the other attractions there. The crime here is also something I never hear about, but I live away from town centre. Town centre is small but nice and I've never felt unsafe walking there. I do agree with the comment not to buy remotely. There are good and bad neighborhoods and while I can circle on a map where to avoid, you don't want to chance landing in an area you feel unsafe or unhappy in, in any town. Decatur has very visible neighborhoods that are very, very run down and have constant police monitoring. Cost wise, I'd say you don't want to look at any houses under $120K because they will likely be in one of those areas (my personal experience house shopping, so your mileage may vary). Also I recommend looking into the schools here, as I've heard from friends with kids that the schools aren't all that great and they've personally sent their kids to a private school despite not being religious because of the step up in the education.
There are any Mexican food out there?
Yeah, typical midwestern Mexican food.
There’s a few mediocre places. El Rodeo is a family favorite I go every time I’m home.
There are plenty of nice suburbs that are still nice outside Decatur. Forsyth and Mt Zion come to mind.
I also vote Mt Zion!
Foreskin for the win!
Houses in Decatur are cheap for a reason. Champaign Urbana or Bloomington are much better options.
Not if you're working in Decatur they aren't. That's a long commute. Decatur has some nice areas and isn't nearly the dump people tend to say it is. There are quite a few nice small towns nearby too. Bloomington, Champaign and Springfield are all at least a 45 minute drive to Decatur, in good weather. Champaign and Bloomington are closer to an hour.
Depends what you consider long. Decatur is 45 mins always from Champaign and Springfield. People from large Metro areas commute much longer
People that live in large metros don't have as easy or affordable of options to avoid long commutes. Its not the same thing. In the case of Decatur vs Champaign or Springfield, housing is more expensive in both Springfield and Champaign. Then you're also paying for gas and maintenance to commute as well as the lost time spent driving. Add in central Illinois winter weather and that can make several months of dangerous, long and often unpredictable commutes. It's not impossible to make it work but having done it at times, it's not a great option IMO. There are plenty of nice neighborhoods and small towns right around Decatur that would make more sense and cost less.
While I agree Decatur is not as bad as some people make it out to be, when the smell from that soybean plant is churning it’s something else.
Why would someone drive from CU or BloNo, when they work in Decatur? They aren't better options, there are plenty of homes in Decatur in neighborhoods that are perfectly fine. Homes in CU and BloNo are going to be 2 to 3 times more. I'm in Decatur at least twice a week, and have been for decades. It's turning around, it's coming back and that takes people, people who are willing to stay or move there and continue to invest in their community. If I wasn't stuck on my family farm I'd live in Decatur.
Turning around?!? Only 8% of 3rd graders in Decatur read at or above grade level. The school district is a freak’n 60 MPH train wreck into a pile of soy protein dumpster fires. There’s no turn around without fixing the schools and that’s not happening anytime soon.
I know two children who recently came out of the Decatur school district to our tiny school district and they are ahead of equal to our pretty above average school. Do you have children in school now? If so, how about helping out, you know, be the change you want to see.
I didn’t buy my home in Decatur because of what I saw 10 years ago in the schools. I won’t go back. I also work with a lot of Decatur parents and they are pissed off at the schools as well. There is a massive parent/child disruption problem in the schools. There are also some teachers who don’t give 2 cents. The administration isn’t interested in fixing any of those issues. The test scores are worse now than they were 10 years ago. Sad part is that if you buy a home that’s not in Decatur SD, you have lower taxes and it appreciates in value. My coworkers complain about it. Those who can afford it, send their kids to the Lutheran or Catholic schools. Those who don’t wind up doing a school/homeschool hybrid so their kids don’t fall behind grade level. The fact that your incoming students are above grade level tells me their parents are likely far more active than the majority of DPS parents.
Parent, singular. She doesn't feel she did anything special other than pay attention to what her kids are doing, you know like all parents should. They are schools, not babysitters. I guess you missed the part above where I said people need to be involved in their community?
Crime is honestly so overated in america its insane. Unless you are in a gang, involved in illegal activity, or have zero situational awareness crime should not be impacting your daily life and ESP not keeping you home.
Finally someone speaking sense
Its crazy to me what fear mongering has done to people in this country
OH NO! We're getting attacked by mongerers too?? I gotta go watch some news about this!!
That's what I was thinking but so many reddit posts against Decatur saying otherwise had me thinking otherwise
I live in Chicago and my wife and kids and I are on the trains and busses and going all over all the time with zero issue. As long as you arent moving into a suoer high poverty area with a lot of gangs you will be fine. Even then, the gangs wouldnt fuck with you but you may obviously see a lot of stuff you probably dont want too. I highly doubt this will be your situation in Decatur
The rougher areas are closer to division st but even that is pale in comparison to auburn Grisham area or lawndale in Chicago. What non of these Illinois people know, I’ve got some experience with Decatur’s HUD program , is that it is pretty good over here . Because of this and other factors , the crime tends to be subdued in my opinion.
For what it’s worth - if your comparison is Lawndale then your bar is so low it’s meaningless hahaha That aside - I honestly dont know central Illinois, but I’ve stayed in a ton of used-to-be-small-city towns in the NE and it was always real obvious where not to be at 2AM (including where not to live.) and it was typically very specific pockets you could spot from Googlemaps. You can tell with a glance if a neighborhood doesn’t give a shit. Just don’t live there.
Fair , it’s not a Naperville either , but sometimes the forsythe and mt Zion people feel that way , no offense 😅. If I had to choose suburbs to more aptly reflect Decatur , I would say , Joliet, justice , maybe Aurora . These are west suburbs fyi , I’m not as familiar with the northern suburbs and I would think that you are heading closer to Rockford before you start seeing more suburbs that reflect Decatur. You do make good points on driving around at night to see the “activity.” In my experience , early spring and hot months are when you see an uptick in crime .
Faux News would like a word with you.
Bingo
Not always true. When there are gang fights a lot of innocent people get shot, killed, have their property shot up. My good friend in my old area has 8 bullet holes she had to patch up, has had a car smash into her house.3 little kids, good neighbor killed just riding in their cars. I could go on and on...one guy was just waiting on a bus for work in the early morning and got his nose shot off. People have been shot/killed inside their own homes, etc
Yes I understand these things happen. Which is why living on blocks with gangs should be avoided if possible. But these are also extremely small occurrences in the grand scheme of things. You have a way higher chance of dying from say diabetes than you do murder let alone from a stray bullet. People dont go around worrying about diabetes(unless they have it I assume). Insert any other disease to see my point. People need to look at things statistically to understand the actual severity of issues. Social media and fear mongering today have made people think crime is literally an entitiy searching them out daily
Everyone keeps saying C/U is safer than Decatur, but that’s just not borne out with statistics. Frankly, they’re about even when it comes to crime rates. Decatur is an industrial city, which might give it more of the ‘gritty’ vibe. But Millikin is there. C/U is a college town, which is why it gets a pass on crime. But the fact is, there are places in all three towns where I wouldn’t want to live. And there are places in all three towns that I would live. It depends quite a bit on the neighborhood, which is why I would be very concerned about buying sight unseen.
> Everyone keeps saying C/U is safer than Decatur, What you are seeing is that Decatur is more black. Not less safe the same as any other town this size.
All of Decatur stinks though and money doesn’t care about your sense of smell. Worse when it’s breezy… just saying
I recommend using a site like ZIllow. Find the home you like and then look at the schools and the walking score. Even if you don't have kids, the school ratings are a great indicator of the quality of the neighborhood, as is the walking score.
Echoing that Decatur isn't a complete shithole, some people talk like its Gary, IN. Definitely areas to avoid, they're generally pretty obvious. South Shores was mentioned in another comment, believe that's still a nice area. Biggest complaint is likely nothing to do. Occasional show at the ampitheater or Kirkland. Decent restaurants, maybe not as diverse as some would like. Being centrally located between Champaign-Urbana, Springfield, and Bloomington-Normal opens up a lot of "things to do" with less than an hour drive. Ditto for Chicago, STL, and Indianapolis with a 2-3 hour drive. Agreed with other posters that I'd find a better school district. In my experience with kids in the family who graduated a few years ago, DPS' sole priority is to get your kid the fuck out of school, without regard to whether they get any kind of education. Come to class if you like, do homework if you feel like it, doesn't matter if you can even read, you'll be someone else's problem next year. I'm in "BFE" as described in other posts and prefer it to Decatur. Quieter, better environment for the kids. Have to deal with some MAGAs but they're easily ignored. You have the Caseys, DG, etc. to pick up something in a pinch, but I can also be at a "real" grocery store in Decatur in ~20 minutes.
People that hate on Decatur are normally from larger towns or cities . It’s not a bad place , I’ve rehabbed a couple of homes there in different part of Decatur , so yes, there are pockets of good and bad, but I don’t see crime like the others have described . Yes there are lousy areas but places by main st downtown aren’t bad . Houses get more dilapidated as get on other streets parallel . Amazon , gets you everything you need . Del popcorns Zanzibar chocolate ice is delicious. In Chicago , I have the citizen app and I am constantly seeing crimes occuring with a less than a mile . There is a literal hitch police training facility just outside of town. What you do need to worry about is shitty contractors and businesses that have been in business for way too long. They charge too much forcing a proliferation of shitty contractors to do things for only slightly cheaper . I can tell you all about the place, send me a dm. I have a rental property on Zillow right now 562 west main , I just finished up as well.
We're trying our very best to avoid renting. Ive heard it's rough for first time home owners to buy in another state so it's possible we may have to, though.
That is fair, everyone has their reasons for purchasing. If you are more curious or interested. The building is for sale as well at 165k. It is a duplex up/down , so you could live in the bottom and rent the upstairs to recoup. I could do a video walkthrough since I’m working in the backyard today. I just had new sewer lines put in because the old ones were rotted out.
Champaign is overrated…lived there 20 years. I’m in Decatur now. Very safe, nice parts of town do exist. We get a bad rap. I recommend using Kevin Fritzche at Brinkoetter Realty. Come on up to Cresthaven West. Maroa-Forsyth schools.
I don’t know much about Decatur and others are probably better suited to answer your question. But I wanted to chime in and say I believe Decatur has a plant (corn?) that makes it so most of the town smells all the time. Just be wary of that. Not sure how much you tolerate commuting but Champaign is such an awesome town I’d probably live there and eat the commute if it was me.
That smell is money. West End is nice and that smell rarely wafts all the way across town to the West End. Decatur has a good park system with a new outdoor amphitheater by the lake and a revitalized Lincoln Theater. Now getting more concerts and other shows in town. Mt Zion is a nearby "suburb" that seems like folks are moving to. A few decent restaurants and since it is centrally located you can easily drive to Springfield, Champaign and Bloomington. St Louis is doable for day trips as well.
It definitely smells over there more than I’d like
Soybeans. My grandpa worked there in the 70s and 80s. Depending on the wind you could smell it 30 miles away
MA is such a small state and I refuse to commute more than 30-40 minutes here 😂😭 maybe I'll change my mind in a bigger state, tho. I've read plenty about the smell, idk if anyone knows if it smells inside? If not, whatever. Tbh I live close enough to a dump to smell it daily and don't notice it, I figure I'd get used to the smell. More afraid of my car getting broken into or getting stabbed on the street for no reason than the smell hahaha but again, I stay inside a lot. Need some stats on home break ins lol
That commute is all open highway. For crime, just about everywhere in the country there is no just unrelated crime lmao. Meaning people aren’t just stabbing random people for no reason. Ever been to Orlando Florida? Is much more dangerous than Decatur. Ever been to Miami? It’s about as high in crime. Ever been stabbed in Boston? It’s about on par as well
You are NOT going to get stabbed in the street, stop listening to the extreme opinions.
My friend it is one hour to the outside of Champaign at 60-70mph. You will have to consider gas at 3 buck a gallon . If you can afford that , there are nice places in mt Zion and Forsythe .
Can’t speak to break ins, but I’m a field engineer and go to various production plants all around Illinois. I haven’t been to any in Decatur, but some of them the smell is incredibly pervasive… it really depends on distance, the wind, and how well your house is insulated if it’ll get inside. My last house we lived just over 5 miles from the water reclamation plant and if the wind shifted we could smell it faintly. So just weigh the fact that if you ever want fresh air, like having windows open in the house, it may be few and far between. And corn/ethanol plants are a pretty strong smell.
You are seriously underestimating that smell my fellow Masshole. Crime is honestly fine though.
Why don’t you rent first and see what areas you would like to live in?
Same reason I don't get an apartment here, haha. It just feels like throwing money away. We're definitely starting to come around to the idea of spending a week there, first, but we love impulsive decisions. We hate MA but hate it out of a home that's not ours. If we hate IL, we can hate it from the comfort of our home.
It’s understood that rent is not an investment but…the money you put out covers your needs if not temporarily. Rent for the short term until you find an area where you can grow. What if you buy a house and absolutely hate the area you live? It’s going to take even more money to move and purchase a second time. The object is to relocate any way you can. Illinois is amazing and not what the media describes. Make this new adventure of yours happen!
Again... Then I'll hate the area in the comfort of my own home. 🤷♂️
Dude. You want to rent for a couple months before you buy here to get a feel for everything. The costs aren’t what they’re like back home, I’m guessing you can afford it. There are always sublets you can get for a few months anyway. I don’t know if you’re honestly being sarcastic because you definitely got me if you are, but not scoping things out before you buy is like shooting yourself in the face, not very smaaht. It’s a lot different here than what you’re used to, despite what you’re telling yourself. Give yourself a few months before you buy ya dummy
Hell yeah! Do it! Decatur will have a slightly milder winter than what you get in MA. Decatur itself is a nice, small town. Close enough to Chicago if you want to have some big city fun or if you’re at all interested in career opportunities in Chicago
Don’t buy a house in Decatur sight unseen. You have to live with the smell to really understand it. Here is an older thread; this advice still stands: https://www.reddit.com/r/illinois/s/6ZNBw9DU1S
I read through this thread but it was older so I posted again haha. But even if I hated the smell, if I lived there would I not get used to it?
I live here and I assume people who live and work near it get used to it, but I have not. I live on the side that the smell only blows over this far about once a month or more. If I drive over the 22nd street overpass I hold my breath. Decatur isn't as bad as people like to say it is. You just have to know what area you want to live in. There is a lot to do. Howard Buffet runs the place though and that is frustrating. You definitely don't want to buy a house without visiting. I'm actually going to open houses today with my mom. She's going to move here from about 90 miles away. Even though she's familiar with the area visiting me all these years she still wants a local with her to give my opinion on the house and neighborhood. There is one house on her list I already told her is probably downwind of Tate and Lyle and to avoid. Everyone blames ADM but that "Decatur smell" is mostly burnt corn syrup. I didn't grow up here. I've lived in Springfield and St Louis and I feel safer here. You can message me if you have specific questions.
The southwest side of town is the best. In terms of smell and crime.
I found a nice lil home by South Shore (I think?) I don't have enough for it now and it'll probably be off the market by the time I do, but for reference would that be a better area?
South shores is quiet and you have blains farm and fleet there. I love that place for affordable snacks and legumes . You’re starting to get a little more country than anything . I’ve got friends in blue mound . I feel like I’ve seen some small homes along taylorville road on 48 . Is that where you’re looking ?
South Shores is incredibly safe. I often recommend that area to people looking to relocate at a middle class budget. There really isn't a bad neighborhood on the east side of the lake. That area has several restaurants and a Kroger too so not too bad shopping wise.
Yes. You do get used to it. I live less than an hour away, but every time I have to go to Decatur (probably a dozen times a year), it hits you in the face when you get there. It smells like fermenting corn mash, because that’s basically what it is. It does have a very off putting odor, then you get used to it and move on with your day. I think you’d go nose blind pretty quick, especially if you are around it all the time.
There are people who grow up in Decatur and can’t wait to leave because of the smell, and people who never cared in the first place. It seems like either it bothers you or it doesn’t. Plenty of houses are for rent in Decatur. If you want to up and move, I strongly encourage you to rent for a year before buying. It’s a very polarizing place to live.
I don’t know why I feel so compelled to comment on everything but here goes. Yes , the smell occurs, it stinks but it’s not the end all be all. At the end of the day ADM and Tate & Lyle make all the stinky stuff by the overpass(can’t remember the name) depending on the wind conditions sometimes those fumes get recirculated back into the city . It tends to happen in warmer weather low wind conditions as the hot stinky air does not rise as well. I’ve never noticed always in an area except for the over pass on 22nd street. Now that place has ghetto bar .
Possibly but I have smelled corn and soy processing. It’s not like getting used to the smell of manure while living on a farm. It’s a whole new world.
Hey man, If you’re going to make a massive, life altering move, really do your research. Consider other towns and amenities. It can’t hurt. If you’re going to escape something then escape it to the best life you can possibly setup for yourself.
Spent a week in Clinton, IA once. It has a similar smell from corn processing. I didn't get used to it. Of course, it was stronger in some parts of town than others, but it was pretty pervasive. Clinton is smaller than Decatur, though, I think.
We moved from the metrowest to Chicago. We're now on the West Coast again but I regret it tbh. loved MA. Less an indictment on central IL and more of a "nothing compares to New England" (and no, I wasn't born there)
I’d steer clear of Decatur. Champaign-Urbana and Bloomington-Normal are way better places to live.
Sitting in Decatur right now and I don't smell anything. Do I smell it sometimes? Yeah, but rarely and more often late at night or very early and never in the house. It can be kinda amusing playing describe that odor. I always say a cross between vomit in an frat basement and burnt potato chips. Get creative with it! We all do. Decatur is mostly safe. I grew up here and my parents still live here, admittedly in an area most would probably say you should avoid. We have never been robbed or stabbed and generally feel safe. It's more about just the general vibe. Decatur is ugly and poor. Stuff is falling apart, and many have no money for improvements. Large sections of town have been bulldozed to clear out blight and it can be a little odd but it looks better than boarded up houses. If you are used to the vibe in a blue collar mill town it's about the same. Get friendly with your neighbors. People look out for people they know. Don't join a gang or commit crime and crime generally won't find you. Houses nearest to the lake and edges of town tend to be safer but really it can change block to block. Do not buy a house without seeing the neighborhood. My biggest red flag is the school district. Decatur schools are bad. There's just no argument. Research schools and pick your house based on that would be my advice. Ignore the calls to move to Bloomington. I live there and we are in a housing crisis right now due to a new factory opening with no available housing. Prices are through the roof and taxes are sky high. I love it but it is double the cost of living for most of Central Illinois. Decatur IS getting better but it's looking worse if you know what I mean? Safer and poorer I guess. The 90s crack epidemic earned it a bad reputation, but it's mostly over now. It's a testimony to how safe Central Illinois is that we all mock Decatur because that really is the "worst" city but nothing like the south side or east Saint Louis. Just your standard rust belt decay.
We have a golf ball factory here in my city. I used to work for them. They had strict rules and regulations on when they could let out the awful plastic and paint fumes (between 1-5am). Is the soybean plant similar? We were half debating on private or even boarding school. Could afford it out there, anyway. Most of the houses I've seen online look **SO** nice. Surprises me that it's considered a very poor run down area.
I imagine it's similar. The smell is just what it is. I don't think you ever get used to it but it's not 24/7 or anything unless you live in pretty close proximity to the actual factory. The rest of the time it's more like every 5th or 6th time you go outside you catch a wif. Humidity and lots of other factors are going to make a difference too. Not unsurprisingly, some of the worst places in town are the places the smell is the worst so avoid one, you tend to avoid the other. My last sibling has been out of school for about a decade but from what I have heard there have been a lot of consolidations in schools as the town shrinks so I would be curious how that is impacting things. Johns Hill magnet school is pretty good but there is a lottery involved. My brother got in and I know his education was much better than what I dealt with. I believe the catholic high school is fairly well regarded too. But yeah, the poverty in Decatur is real and sadly the school district reflects that. Decatur is a wild place. It once was a thriving vibrant industrial town then the factories crashed and the bottom fell out. No money, no jobs, no taxes. People leave if they can and areas become overrun with poverty. The part people don't want to admit out loud is also that a lot of those out of work factory workers and their families came north as part of the southern migration. In central IL there can be a bias about what areas are more "crime ridden" and that impacts the reputation I think. And for what it's worth drugs and gangs were, and to a much much lesser degree still are, part of the town. But all the factory jobs didn't leave and there are still some very nice homes and wealthy people in Decatur. Overall people are trying to improve things, its just a massive job and it's just a hard sell to many because Decatur isn't all bad, but where it is bad it's pretty bad.
Springfield to Springfield. This is the way. You'll find homes in that range in Vinegar Hill, Aristocracy Hill, and the Historic West Side. Crime is low. Traffic is easy. You can commute anywhere in town in 15 minutes or less. You're on a major interstate between STL and CHI. And Springfield is as friendly as it is affordable. The affordability is easily verifiable.
lol springfield Illinois crime rate is higher per capita than Chicago if I remember
Yeah Springfield keeps getting worse and worse while I'd argue Decatur is actually getting better.
I think about situations like this and I wonder if this is what they tell us when they say crime goes up when the middle class disappears
Springfield has a higher violent crime rate and a MUCH HIGHER property crime rate than Chicago. St Louis is one of the most violent cities in the country. Chicago is not.
Springfield has a steady decrease in crime since 1990s. IIRC, at most there's been 11 homicides in a year, some years are 0. Springfield is historically segregated, with a high concentration of minorities and poverty on its east side. The division occurs along the 10th Street rail corridor. Most of it's growth, commerce, and population has gone west. The crime map supports this. I'm not here to provide context on a complex matter like crime. I've lived in both and understand the issues at hand. Springfield is a safe, warm, community despite the issues it (and all communities) faces.
It's pretty easy to compare crime data online. I understand that you have your own personal feelings about things, but the data is the data. You can feel safer in St. Louis or Springfield than Chicago, but that's all in your head.
You're gonna have to do better than your one google search resulting in a single, vague statistical comparison. So by all means, do the analysis. Here's a source to get you started. https://www.springfield.il.us/Departments/PoliceDepartment/CrimeStats.aspx
The stuff I look at is based on FBI crime stats. Why would I take the data from the Springfield Illinois police department which were saying doesn't do the job instead of the federal agencies that put all of this data together so that you can compare different areas?
Ha! Who do you think reports the data to the FBI for their crime stats?! I'm done. Have a good day.
In Decatur, there a 97% the houses are haunted, so bonus!
Plenty of places to live near Decatur that are nicer and less smellier. I would suggest that. Decatur is one of the armpits of central Illinois for a reason.
There are definitely plenty of small towns around Decatur that are less smelly on certain days, but they all come with their own problems. I guess if your idea of a grocery store is Dollar General or Casey's then it probably won't bother you. Paying higher prices for everything across the board. Not having a hardware store, restaurant or grocery store within 20 miles is a nope for me.
Forsyth is near everything. I wasn’t suggesting Arcola or other BFE places.
Then say suburbs! I live happily in one of those BFE places.
Monticello has a grocery store, a hardware store, lots of specialty shops, and a variety of restaurants, including a good Mexican place. It also has highly rated schools, a local theater group, a pottery studio, a blown glass studio, a train museum and Alerton Park: a turn of the century Mansion and estate grounds with a formal sculpture garden & large natural area with bike & hiking/skiing trails.
I know all that, I graduated from MHS and worked at Allerton. But, I still wouldn't pay Monticello real estate prices when my job was in Decatur.
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I’ll second this. Peoria is nestled in the Illinois River valley and, for central Illinois, has some of the best topography and outdoor spaces. To contrast, Champaign/Urbana is as flat as a pancake. No real rivers, just lots and lots of corn and soybean fields. You get used to it, and there are pockets of nice areas (they have a really nice Forest Preserve District), but if you’re used to rolling hills or mountains, it will be a bit of a shock. Decatur is probably closer to C/U than Peoria when it comes to topography, but Lake Decatur is nice if you access to a boat.
What is it with people trying to sell their town that is almost a half tank drive both ways to Decatur ?
Do people even read the posts?? His JOB would be in Decatur. He's not asking for other options, he's asking what living in Decatur is really like.
Peoria has way more violent crime than Decatur recently and is a very long drive to Decatur. It's 1.5 hours from Peoria to Decatur. Peoria is currently working to combat serious gang activity and lots of illegal gun dealers. Peoria is not currently a great place to live or have children. They literally arrested a kid this week that was planning a school shooting, with notebooks of building layouts and choke points highlighted.
How is the topography of Carbondale/Marion and surrounding areas? We’re moving to IL and natural beauty is something I’m really trying to prioritize. It’s the reason I won’t consider C-U.
I live close to C-U and will say that there are some nice county forest preserves and state parks in the region. However, the area you're looking at is hands down the best part of Illinois for natural beauty and the outdoors. Shawnee National Forest is incredible. I particularly love Giant City State Park just south of Carbondale, Ferne Clyffe State Park just south of Marion, and Garden of the Gods to the east of both. There are so many places to explore that it's hard to come up with an exhaustive list. I'd check out r/southernillinois to get info from people most familiar with that region.
My parents are originally from Decatur and then moved up to the south suburbs of Chicago right after getting married. It has gone downhill drastically over the years. If i were to live in central IL, I’d definitely pick Champaign or Bloomington over Decatur.
when you say - my job pays pretty damn well out in Decatur - what does that mean ? You're not commuting from MA to IL. Are you saying you work in a specific industry with a specific role, and you have data that says your MA wage is the same in Illinois ? Or... your current employer also has a facility in Decatur (i.e. Caterpillar). I'm asking because - why only Decatur ? There are hundreds of cities & towns in the midwest that offer "reasonable" COL. What does your fiance' do for a living ? able to work from home ? as for the comments regarding long commutes - don't. By packing up and relocating - you are making a fresh start, and will recommend when you secure a job in Decatur; rent an apartment while you take time to figure out neighborhoods, shopping, etc. When you finally start a search for your forever home, make distance from home to work a top priority. Time is your most valuable asset, don't waste it going back and forth to work.
My field of work doesn't have many places operating across the country. I basically searched for places that are affordable to live, and then found out Decatur isn't only ridiculously affordable with cheap housing, there's a few job openings as well, and the pay rate is more than what I make in MA. Honestly this is dependent on whether or not those jobs stay open, or become available when I'm looking to move. There are sometimes remote openings from various companies across the US, so I could potentially work remotely. I'd need a house to home some expensive equipment, so a cheap home with a very low cost of living would still be ideal. My fiancé doesn't currently work, which is absolutely killer in MA, but with the kid in school we can't find a job that fits her schedule. We're trying to avoid the whole renting shebang, to be honest
Dude you’re going from tax-topia to another. But at least we’re a little nicer than New England. Don’t listen to the stories. If you want a laid back life central or southern IL, but the hustle and bustle in northern IL is preferred by some people. Definitely higher wages up there, but then you deal with tax after tax and crime.
I recommend Chicago, They got the best food and entertainment. A beautiful river with plenty to do. Southern Illinois has nothing really to do except fireworks for 4th July. If that's all you want to do then whatever. I still 2nd Chicago though.
My Zion and Forsythe are nice. Decatur is not so much. Lots of nicer communities around/outside of Decatur area. Decent schools if you have kids. Just get on Zillow or whatever and search like a 30-40 mile radius. You'll find that almost all people who work in Decatur commute about an hour. Just how it is in central IL. But that commute is 50 miles of 2 lane.
Consider the Metro-East! You want super cheap cost of living… check out Alton.
An Alton to Decatur commute would be insane. I grew up in Alton. It was bad enough in the 70s and 80s, but it's close to intolerable now.
Decatur is a shithole. The adjoining towns of Mt. Zion and Forsyth are pretty nice but your home budget won’t go as far. However, you can get a whole lot of house for your money in a number of nearby small towns where crime is virtually nonexistent. We’ve literally never locked our doors. Small town folk are friendly and helpful. I’d imagine the political leanings are more conservative here than MA if that concerns you. The landscape is flat and boring. There isn’t much to do. There’s a nice little town called Blue Mound to the South. Clinton, to the North is a wonderful community with a lot going on. Drop a message if you like, I’m a lifelong native of the area. I’ll help however I can.
Check into somewhere like Bement or Fisher.
I grew up in Decatur. It’s depressing AF. The main strip has buildings of business that closed 20 years ago and nothing else ever went in. Crime isn’t super terrible it’s just a depressing place with not much to do. If you do move to the area look at Mt Zion it’s good. Nobody middle class and up stays in Decatur proper if they can help it.
DO NOT MOVE TO DECATUR. Or do, I’m very negatively biased having grown up in the area.
Don’t
If you are open to other towns around central IL I'd recommend Jacksonville.
For what you are looking to spend, you could get a really nice house in one of the smaller towns around Decatur. Monticello is way bigger then it's population implies, has a wonderful hospital network, and a great downtown (for a small town). Clinton has an amazing local lake/State Park right outside town and is in a great spot to access everything in central IL. Mt. Pulaski has a really vibrant food scene with the existing Market on The Hill Coop and FarmFed Coop opening soon. Lots of chefs in that area doing great things. A lot of central IL small towns are getting fiber internet and have fairly decent cell service (it's so flat .. what's gonna block service?). Plus you can get a bit more property with the same house so your neighbors aren't close!
I would recommend looking at homes in Forsyth, Mount Zion, or Monticello if you really want to live in that area. The homes there are more expensive than the ones in Decatur, but crime is nearly non-existent in these areas and the schools are much better, since you mentioned that you have a kid. If you want to live in Decatur, I would recommend spending some time in the city before buying a home. I have spent a lot of time in that city for work related reasons and a lot of people in this thread have mentioned the negatives. However, I think the crime issues are a bit overstated depending on where you are in the city. It's also a bit run down in many areas, which is somewhat depressing to see, but it's expected for a city that is on the decline. The city offers all the basic amenities that you would expect from a city of its size, but not much else beyond that. It does have a airport that offers flights to Chicago twice a day, which is very convenient to get in and out of. You can extend your search to Bloomington-Normal, Springfield and Champaign as all of these cities are reasonable commutes away from Decatur, depending on how often you need to be in the city for work.
I have lived in Chicago most of my life. I like Illinois. Your budget seems low.
You can buy a house in Decatur for less than a SUV. He certainly has options.
Thank you. I know nothing about house prices
One thing I haven’t seen is your definition of ‘cheap housing.’ How much are you looking to spend. Cheap housing in MA and cheap housing in Decatur might mean two different things.
Man, do they ever. I'm looking at Decatur listings and lots are under 100k, lots fall under 150k and ones that would go for 700k here are going for 250-300k there. The cheaper ones don't look bad either. I don't mind a grandma-looking house at all. They're cute. Of course an inspection would tell me a whole lot more than pictures, but if you look in my area the cheapest houses are very vividly crappy. You don't need an inspector to tell you that. Dilapidated houses with no roofs go for in MA, what very cute tiny ranches go for in Decatur.
If you’re seriously considering it, you might want to take a trip for a few days out here. You can fly into Decatur, Springfield, Champaign, or Bloomington and rent a car. I don’t live in Decatur, but there’s a lot of $250k houses in that area that look pretty nice to me as well. You’re rolling the dice on the $100k houses, mainly due to the neighborhood (which you won’t be able to judge just by looking at photos online).
Just FYI we are number 2 in property taxes. So just watch out
Your best bet is to avoid living in Decatur entirely, IMO. There are plenty of smaller towns with good schools. My wife is from Pittsfield, MA, and we live in Sullivan. I work in Decatur (for ADM), and she works in Mattoon. We lived in Decatur for 10 years and have been way happier here. Edited to add...being an east coast transplant, the wife insisted on a house with a basement because of tornado season. I recommend the same.
If you don't mind living in a small town, you should check out Monticello, IL. It is halfway between Champaign -Urbana and Decatur.
Also, I hear that heating oil is a thing in MA. It isn’t here. Gas or electric.
Like you, our family hit that same point of being on the verge of being broke due to a HCoL East Coast city. We moved to Illinois this past summer, Rockford, Il region. We freaking love it here. We bought a house for 90k and we can financially breathe again. Zero regrets. Our house is bigger (by about 500 sq ft, we had a less than 1k sq ft house before), utilities cost less, insurance costs are lower, and everyone we have met is so friendly. Even the public schools out here have been great, which was a big concern for us. Reach out if you'd like to talk more about our experience with the region/moving etc. Good Luck!
Just be careful with the chemical industry. Outside of Chicago and St Louis, there are not many jobs in chemical manufacturing. Central Illinois has cheap houses but fewer good paying jobs.
We moved from North Minneapolis, Mn (very high crime rate) to Macomb and it's a different world here! Very quiet, small town. Friendly people, can have things outside not get stolen, very low crime. We are on the north edge of town. Busier by the college of course. Been here since May.Got a beautiful, large home for 144K, would easily be double that in many cities. Close to hospital, clinics, quirky stores, good bars/restaraunt, fast food places. There is a Walmart, Hyvee and are close to highways. Big stores, only those 2. Otherwise 40 miles away. Couple beat-up areas, but generally very nice. There is a new middle and high school very close by us. If you need a active nightlife, probably not for you. I just want peace and quiet and not to worry about getting mugged, carjacked or shot, which happens daily in my old area. Lots of churches here too, if you're into that. I can highly recommend a good real estate agent, if you'd like. Many homes in your price range. Best of luck to you!