DeKalb County, Illinois
DeKalb Real Estate and Local Guide
DeKalb is a college city in DeKalb County, home to Northern Illinois University and known as the birthplace of commercially manufactured barbed wire. The city blends a university presence with an agricultural and manufacturing heritage. Ranked Realty pairs verified local data with the agents who know DeKalb best.
About the area
Living in DeKalb, IL
Nicknamed Barb City, where Joseph Glidden patented barbed wire in 1874.
The housing market
Homes in DeKalb
- About 42.5% of housing units are owner-occupied, reflecting a large student renter population.
- About 40.6% of the housing stock is single-family homes.
- The median home value is about $202,900.
Landmarks and lifestyle
What makes DeKalb home
Ellwood House Museum
1879 mansion of barbed wire baron Isaac Ellwood, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975
Egyptian Theatre
Egyptian Revival theatre opened in 1929 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Northern Illinois University
Public research university founded in 1895 and the city's largest employer
DeKalb Park District
Manages 44 parks totaling over 700 acres
Ellwood House Park
Ten-acre historic parkland surrounding the Ellwood House Museum in the center of the city
Neighborhoods
DeKalb areas to know
Downtown DeKalb
Historic core around the Egyptian Theatre
For agents
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Local facts on this page are verified against public sources as part of the AppWT local-data project. Data reflects the most recent available figures.