Northern Illinois University

DeKalb, IL

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Northern Illinois University - Dekalb, IL

Area Guide

Show your Husky pride in your cardinal and black

NIU Northern Illinois Huskies Public Active Close-knit Historic Charming

Chartered in 1895, Northern Illinois University focuses on the future of its students, offering a wide variety of academic programs and plenty of opportunities for hands-on learning. Northern Illinois’ nationally ranked, high-quality education provides students with tools for success, so they may be learning today and leading tomorrow.

NIU’s main campus is located in the small town of DeKalb, where the bulk of apartments, townhomes, and single-family houses available for rent cater to the needs of the NIU community. Commuters enjoy NIU’s convenience to I-88 and the Route 23 commercial corridor.

Home to the Northern Illinois Huskies, which compete in the NCAA Division I Mid-American Conference, NIU grants students the chance to participate in intramural sports. An array of on-campus cultural activities, from concerts to art exhibitions to plays, in addition to more than 200 student organizations provide a range of activities and events to satisfy every interest. Should you tire of DeKalb’s charming downtown area, cities such as Chicago, Milwaukee, Cedar Rapids, Indianapolis, and Saint Louis are all within a four-hour drive from NIU.

Rent Trends

As of August 2025, the average apartment rent in DeKalb, IL is $773 for a studio, $861 for one bedroom, $1,074 for two bedrooms, and $1,210 for three bedrooms. Apartment rent in DeKalb has increased by 1.8% in the past year.

  • Studio

  • 302 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $773/month

    Average Rent

  • 1 BR

  • 448 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $861/month

    Average Rent

  • 2 BR

  • 741 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $1,074/month

    Average Rent

  • 3 BR

  • 949 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $1,210/month

    Average Rent

Transportation

45

Car-Dependent

out of 100 WalkScore® Rating

This area is considered a car-dependent area and most errands will require a car.

28

Some Transit

out of 100 TransitScore® Rating

You'll likely want a car when living in this area since it has few transit options.

58

Bikeable

out of 100 BikeScore® Rating

While there’s some bike infrastructure in this area, you’ll still need a car for many errands.

Schools

Jefferson Elementary School

Public

Grades K-5

319 Students

Founders Elementary School

Public

Grades K-5

556 Students

Littlejohn Elementary School

Public

Grades K-5

356 Students

Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary School

Public

Grades K-5

342 Students

Tyler Elementary School

Public

Grades K-5

309 Students

Huntley Middle School

Public

Grades 6-8

934 Students

Clinton Rosette Middle School

Public

Grades 6-8

615 Students

De Kalb High School

Public

Grades 9-12

2,083 Students

Points of Interest

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Methodology

† Our analysis of utilities, groceries, transportation, healthcare, home prices, and other goods and services is sourced from the Cost of Living Index, a respected benchmark published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) that provides a thorough overview of living expenses across different regions.

Rent data is provided by CoStar Group’s Market Trend reports. As the industry leader in commercial real estate information, analytics, and news, CoStar conducts extensive research to produce and maintain a comprehensive database of commercial real estate information. We combine this data with public record to provide the most up-to-date rental information available.

Consumer goods, services, and home prices are sourced from the Cost of Living Index published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). The data on this page is updated quarterly. It was last published in June 2025.