Census: Clinton County folks really like to own their homes

Clinton County is a haven for home owners, and one of only 136 counties in the nation where more than 80 percent of the homes were occupied by the owners.

Those are among the findings of the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey released Thursday. Another metro-east county, Washington County, came really close to making the elite list. Washington County was found to have 79.9 percent of the houses occupied by owners.

“We live in God’s Country. That’s what we say, anyway,” said Clinton County Clerk Mary Rakers, who also records the county’s deeds. “We go to college so we can get good jobs and work hard to be homeowners. That’s the way we’re raised.”

High home ownership rates were centered in the Midwest, 73 of the 136 counties higher than 80 percent. Seven of those counties were in Illinois, including Clinton.

Clinton was also one of 115 counties in the nation where the rate of home ownership increased between the five-year periods studied, 2005 to 2009 versus 2010 to 2014. St. Clair, Madison, Bond and Macoupin counties all saw their home ownership rates fall during the period while other local counties remained static.

There are 3,142 counties in the nation and 102 in Illinois.

Clinton County Board Chairman Bob Fix was taking a break from deer hunting Friday when he heard the news. He said the county’s Census numbers show a lot of growth and a shift to the western parts of the county, along the highways and closer to St. Louis.

“A lot of people commute to Scott Air Force Base and St. Louis for jobs,” Fix said. “If St. Clair County gets the (National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency), that’s a benefit to them but also Clinton County as well.”

NGA is considering a site next to Scott Air Force Base for its new, $1.6-billion home for the defense mapping agency that would bring 3,100 jobs.

The Census survey also examined monthly housing costs for those owning their homes. Only Monroe County was above the national average of $1,522 per month in mortgage costs, coming in at a median of $1,619 per month.

This story was originally published December 4, 2015 at 10:17 AM with the headline "Census: Clinton County folks really like to own their homes."