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Moving to Pittsfield, Illinois

Pittsfield pays new residents up to $5,000 through Move to Pittsfield. Here is what life costs in Pike County, home of Pittsfield, where people work, what there is to do, and remote jobs you can bring with you.
  • $5,000Paid to move hereMove to Pittsfield
  • $101,400Typical home value1Pike County
  • $676Typical rent1Utilities included
  • 14,231Population-3.4% since 2020

By Sol Lakein.Checked November 4, 2026.How we compare costs

Get paid to move to Pittsfield

Tap a program for who qualifies, how it pays, whether it is open and the official link.

Every program in Illinois

Something to know about Pittsfield

Did you know?

John Hay and John Nicolay, who both became private secretaries to President Abraham Lincoln, met in Pittsfield, where Hay attended Thompson Academy and Nicolay worked as a newspaper editor.

Source: Historical Marker Database (Looking for Lincoln marker, Pittsfield), January 2019

A fact about Pittsfield

What it costs to live in Pittsfield

Pike County next to Illinois and the US.1
MeasurePike CountyIllinoisUnited States
Typical home value$101,400$263,300$332,700
Monthly owner costs with a mortgage$1,035$1,987$1,963
Typical rent, with utilities$676$1,274$1,413
Typical household income$59,777$83,390$80,734
Homes lived in by their owners77.7%67.1%65.2%
Households with broadband83.2%90.8%91.0%
Average commute, one way23 min28 min26 min

On the typical home here, the mortgage comes to about $557 a month2.

Jobs and work in Pike County

  • 3,345Jobs at local employers2023, +9.2% vs 2022
  • 349Employer businesses2023
  • 1,013Self-employed businessesNonemployer firms, 2024
  • 83.2%Households with broadbandUS: 91.0%

60.4% of residents 16 and older are in the labor force, the average commute is 23.4 minutes, and 18.5% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree1,3. Builders pulled permits for 11 new homes in 2025.

Remote jobs you can do from Pittsfield

1 of Pittsfield's 1 program requires a full-time remote job. These are current remote openings for people living in the US.

Loading current remote jobs.

Things to do in Pittsfield

Notable places in Pike County, by type.4

Parks, lakes and the outdoors

  • East Pike Park
  • Columbia Farm Pond
  • Grubb Hollow Prairie Nature Preserve
  • Halfmoon Lake
  • Spring Lake

Museums, theaters and libraries

  • Lock and Dam No. 22

Thinking about Pittsfield? Get the free moving guide

12 pages: what a move costs, hiring movers safely, an 8-week checklist and how to apply for programs like these.

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Moving to Pittsfield: questions people ask

Does Pittsfield pay you to move there?

Yes. Move to Pittsfield: $5,000 cash. Each program has its own rules, status and official link on its page, checked October 30, 2026.

How much does it cost to live in Pittsfield?

In Pike County, the median owner-occupied home is valued at $101,400 and median gross rent is $676 a month (US Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). Illinois: $263,300 and $1,274. United States: $332,700 and $1,413. With 20% down at 7.32%, principal and interest on a home at the county median value come to about $557 a month (our arithmetic).

Is Pittsfield a good place to live?

It depends on what you need. On the numbers: home values in Pike County are below the US median, household income is below the US median, and the population fell 3.4% from April 2020 to July 2025 (US Census Bureau). Visit before you decide.

Can I work remotely from Pittsfield?

83.2% of households in Pike County have a broadband subscription (US: 91.0%; ACS 2020-2024). 1 of the 1 local program requires a full-time remote job.

What is there to do in Pittsfield?

Notable places in Pike County include East Pike Park, Columbia Farm Pond, Lock and Dam No. 22. The full list by type is on this page (Wikidata).

Other Illinois towns that pay you to move

Notes on the numbers
  1. 1Costs and people: US Census Bureau QuickFacts, American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimates (dollars in 2024 terms), read November 4, 2026. "Typical" is the median. Census figures cover all homes and renters, not just recent sales or new leases. QuickFacts
  2. 2Mortgage: principal and interest on the county's typical home value with 20% down at 7.32% (Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026), our arithmetic. Rate source
  3. 3Jobs and businesses: US Census Bureau QuickFacts, County Business Patterns 2023, Nonemployer Statistics 2024, Building Permits Survey 2025, ACS 2020-2024.
  4. 4Things to do: notable places from Wikidata (CC0), read November 4, 2026. Know a place we should add? Email hello@slowersundays.com.
Sources for this page