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.
Living in DeKalb
Nicknamed Barb City, where Joseph Glidden patented barbed wire in 1874. Source: en.wikipedia.org
IncomeAbout $46,564 median household
EducationAbout 35.7% hold a bachelor's or higher
CountyDeKalb County
Homes in DeKalb
Single-family homesAbout 40.6% of the housing stock
Median home valueAbout $202,900
- About 42.5% of housing units are owner-occupied, reflecting a large student renter population.
Source: ACS 2023
What makes DeKalb home
Ellwood House Museum
Source: en.wikipedia.org
1879 mansion of barbed wire baron Isaac Ellwood, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975
Egyptian Theatre
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Egyptian Revival theatre opened in 1929 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Northern Illinois University
Source: en.wikipedia.org
Public research university founded in 1895 and the city's largest employer
Ellwood House Park
Source: ellwoodhouse.org
Ten-acre historic parkland surrounding the Ellwood House Museum in the center of the city