Real Estate Investing in Walnut, Illinois

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1 ZIP codes • Population: 2,021 • Bureau County

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Should you buy in Walnut, IL? Our answer, based on the numbers below.

🏠 For Homebuyers
GREAT FIT
Grade A (91/100)

Strong fundamentals — affordable, appreciating, and stable. A confident pick for primary residence.

📈 For Investors
MIXED
3.0 / 5 (52/100)

A middle-of-the-road market. Workable, but the best opportunities may be nearby ZIPs rather than this one.

⚠️ Risks to Know
1 flag
  • Elevated poverty: 22.1% poverty rate — can affect rent collection.

What’s happening in Walnut, IL?

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3.0/ 5

Investability

Citywide average

4.0/ 5

Appreciation

7.1% 5yr CAGR

5.0/ 5

Landlord Climate

Regulatory friendliness

🏦 30-yr Fixed Rate: 6.76% as of Sep 10 Source: Freddie Mac PMMS
Avg Investability
Avg Home Value $154,934
Avg Monthly Rent $1,143
ZIP Codes 1

Investing in Walnut Real Estate

This is a distressed-leaning corner of Illinois: Walnut has 1 ZIPs and a sizable population, and the investment math only works for investors who truly understand the market.

Across Walnut's 1 ZIPs, fundamentals run thin: thin appreciation, soft rents, and demographic trends that don't obviously reverse in the medium term.

Rents in Walnut at $1,143/mo have struggled to keep pace with cost increases, and vacancy has risen in pockets — a dynamic that compresses realized returns well below headline cap rates.

Population dynamics in Walnut haven't been supportive. a harder case for combined with tepid income growth, the demographic backdrop complicates any purely financial underwriting.

A great house in the wrong ZIP is still a bad deal — screen every market by cash flow & cap rate.
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Best ZIP codes in Ottawa, IL

Walnut is part of this metro. Every ZIP in it, ranked. Free.

Cash Flow → Appreciation → Affordable →

Landlord Ground Truth

Real numbers from people who own or manage rentals in Walnut, IL. Anonymous, moderated, never written by AI.

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Avg Home Value
$154,934
Avg Monthly Rent
$1,143
1% Rule
✗ Below
Landlord Friendly (IL)

📉 Market Crash Risk Index

Based on Ottawa, IL metro

1/10
Low Risk
Price YoY
0/3
N/A
Rent YoY
0/2
N/A
Below List
1/3
58%
Days Pending
0/2
28 days

View all metro crash risk rankings →

⚖️ Balanced Market — Ottawa, IL metro
28
Days to pending
8.5%
Listings with price cuts
0.0%
Sale-to-list ratio
📅 Data as of August 29, 2026 — updated weekly

ZIP Codes in Walnut, IL

Screen every ZIP in Walnut

Filter Walnut’s ZIPs by cap rate, vacancy, appreciation and 30+ more criteria, and export your shortlist to CSV — with the Investor plan ($19/mo).

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Frequently Asked Questions About Walnut, IL

How strong are rents in Walnut, IL?

Investors in Walnut, IL typically see rents near $1,143/mo per month against $155K home values - a solid setup for rental cash flow.

Do rentals sit vacant long in Walnut, IL?

Rental vacancy in Walnut, IL is elevated. Investors should budget normal turnover but not chronic empty units.

Is Walnut, IL a smart market for rental property?

With a 3.0/5 investability score, Walnut, IL ranks as a solid market for rental property investors. Median prices of $155K and rents of $1,143/mo drive the underlying numbers.

Is Walnut, IL good for house hacking?

House hacking in Walnut, IL is a challenging. With home values around $155K and rents at $1,143/mo, owner-occupants can offset a meaningful share of PITI.

What is it like being a landlord in Walnut, IL?

IL law landlord-friendly for landlords, and Walnut inherits those rules. Investors should still review local ordinances for rental licensing.

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