Northern Illinois University

DeKalb, IL

Background Image

Northern Illinois University - Dekalb, IL

Area Guide

Share 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 March 2025, the average apartment rent in DeKalb, IL is $763 for a studio, $855 for one bedroom, $1,053 for two bedrooms, and $1,201 for three bedrooms. Apartment rent in DeKalb has increased by 2.7% in the past year.

  • Studio

  • 327 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $763/month

    Average Rent

  • 1 BR

  • 463 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $855/month

    Average Rent

  • 2 BR

  • 791 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $1,053/month

    Average Rent

  • 3 BR

  • 1,025 sq ft

    Average Sq Ft

  • $1,201/month

    Average Rent

Transportation

46

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

6
out of 10

Littlejohn Elementary School

Public

Grades K-5

356 Students

5
out of 10

Founders Elementary School

Public

Grades K-5

556 Students

4
out of 10

Lincoln Elementary School

Public

Grades K-5

291 Students

4
out of 10

Gwendolyn Brooks Elementary School

Public

Grades K-5

342 Students

2
out of 10

Huntley Middle School

Public

Grades 6-8

934 Students

4
out of 10

Clinton Rosette Middle School

Public

Grades 6-8

615 Students

2
out of 10

De Kalb High School

Public

Grades 9-12

2,083 Students

3
out of 10

Points of Interest

Top Apartments Near Northern Illinois University

Houses Near Northern Illinois University

Property Management Companies

Search Nearby Rentals

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 February 2025.