2 of the 3 Best Cities to Buy a Home in Illinois this year are located in Central Illinois. Which two cities in the middle of the Land of Lincoln are the places you should want to buy a home in? Here are the details...

According to Niche.com's list of the best cities to buy a home in Illinois, Springfield ranks 2nd behind Naperville, and Peoria comes in 3rd on the list, the rest of the list consists of Elgin, Rockford, and Chicago.

What does Niche have to say about the Capital City of Illinois? " Springfield is in Sangamon County and is one of the best places to live in Illinois. Living in Springfield offers residents a dense suburban feel and most residents own their homes. In Springfield there are a lot of bars, restaurants, and parks. Many families and young professionals live in Springfield and residents tend to have moderate political views. The public schools in Springfield are above average." Niche goes on to mention that Springfield has a population of over 114,000 people, a median home value of over $147,000, and an overall A- grade.

READ MORE: Illinois has 2 of the BEST Tattoo Shops in the USA 

Did they get it right?

I think this makes a lot of sense, home values in the suburbs are overinflated, and your dollar will go further in a city like Springfield or Peoria. I grew up in the Suburbs and I totally understand why Naperville gets so much love, the great suburbs like Naperville, Crystal Lake, Barrington, Arlington Heights, and Batavia, offer families so much and are close to Chicago. But Springfield and Peoria can offer you the same as the burbs for less money, and the only negative is the extra hour it takes to get to Chicago.

Most popular grocery stores in America

The most popular grocery stores in America, from corporate chains to family-owned enterprises. Stacker ranked them using consumer ratings sourced from YouGov polls.

Gallery Credit: Stacker

More From KHMO-AM 1070, News-Talk-Sports