O’Fallon is an Illinois community that flies high, and not just because of its proximity to Scott Air Force Base. This city of almost 32,000 is home to multiple highly rated public school systems, which is a magnet for buyers with children. “It’s the No. 1 factor,” says Ethel Shanklin of Strano & Associates, and recipient of the Southwestern Board of Realtors’ 2024 Good Neighbor Realtor of the Year Award. With homes built across a range of eras, the area is accessible to a variety of budgets, too.
The city offers a Downtown District packed with restaurants and other businesses and maintains 12 parks. The area is also flush with jobs in the healthcare sector, and being under 20 miles from St. Louis means the rest of the region’s jobs and amenities aren’t too far away, either. “O’Fallon is kind of like a top-of-line community right here,” Shanklin says. “One of our best-kept secrets in the region for a while."
The City of O'Fallon has many water towers dotted throughout town.
Scott Air Force base is not only a beacon of pride but is the largest employer in O'Fallon.
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From modest to expansive, O’Fallon is full of options
Downtown is still dotted with houses that date back to the 19th century, including gable-front options and bungalows. Homes get newer toward O’Fallon’s outskirts, spanning across the 20th century and into the 21st. There’s still brand-new construction popping up, too, in subdivisions like Augusta Greens and Stone Briar.
O’Fallon’s vast range of housing creates a wide spectrum of pricing. There are fixer-uppers available for less than $100,000 and homes in good condition, around 1,000 square feet, that go for under $200,000. Most brand-new houses sell for prices between $400,000 and a little more than $600,000, while the upper end of the city’s market includes estates between 5,000 and 8,000 square feet, with price tags approaching $1 million. “It’s for any buyer,” Shanklin says.
The average sale price is about $334,000, which is more than nearby cities like Belleville and Granite City in this Illinois region just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis that’s known as Metro East. Still, it’s not uncommon for some houses to sell after two weeks or less. “As soon as it goes on the market people start looking,” Shanklin says.
Many simple bungalows can be found throughout O'Fallon.
Older 19-Century gable front bungalows can be found throughout the community of downtown O'Fallon.
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Military and medical services have major impact
About 7 miles from O’Fallon, Scott Air Force Base is the largest employer in the region at more than 15,000 people. Operations at Scott include the U.S. Transportation Command and the Air Mobility Command. The base has an economic impact of $3 billion, which spreads into O’Fallon, where some active duty and retired personnel live.
Health care is another major employer in the city. St. Elizabeth Hospital is the largest facility in the city with 144 beds. The BJC Medical Group is a leading employer, too, with medical centers scattered throughout the region, including Progress West Hospital in O’Fallon.
St. Elizabeth Hospital is the largest facility in O'Fallon with 144 beds.
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O’Fallon High offers career pathways
Students in O’Fallon are divided into two school districts for kindergarten through eighth grades. The Central School District serves nearly 4,000 students and scores a B-minus on Niche, while the O’Fallon District No. 90 only has 600 students and gets an A-minus. The districts funnel into O’Fallon Township High School District 203. The high school offers a career and technical educational department with focuses in business and finance, digital marketing, manufacturing and public services.
Private options include the B-plus-rated First Baptist Christian Academy for kindergarten through 12th grade, which has elective courses ranging from engineering technology to printmaking.
O'Fallon District No. 90 has 600 students with a Niche score of an A-minus.
Central School District serves nearly 4,000 students and scores a B- on Niche.
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Downtown is a hub for local businesses
O’Fallon’s downtown encompasses multiple walkable stretches lined with eateries, salons, a bike store, a florist, and a comic and toy store. “It’s still a quaint, old-school area,” Shanklin says. “Like a close, heart-warming feeling of home. A lot of small businesses tend to move downtown because of the space. They’re older buildings and they’re fixed up real nice.”
The O'Fallon Historical Society Museum offers exhibits about the city’s history and is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Downtown is home to the Vine Street Market, a farmers market that draws more than 70 vendors each Saturday from May to October. Big-box stores and chain restaurants in a corridor around Interstate 64.
Downtown O'Fallon business districts has an easily walkable stretch of quaint shops and eateries.
The Bike Surgeon is located in downtown O'Fallon.
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Family Sports Park features plenty of attractions
O’Fallon maintains 12 city parks that range in size and amenities. The largest is the 200-acre O’Fallon Family Sports Park, which has 16 lighted baseball and soccer fields, a playground, a 2-mile trail and a fishing pond. Thoman Park, meanwhile, offers a more intimate environment at just under 5 acres, and includes a playground and a pavilion that’s available for rent from March to October. The O’Fallon YMCA is a paid option for indoor recreation with a weight room, gymnasium and indoor track.
The weather in O’Fallon ranges from warm summers to chilly winters. The city is in a part of the country prone to tornadoes — the state averages 54 of them a year, according to a University of Illinois analysis.
O'Fallon Family Sport Complex has 8 ball diamonds.
A pavilion sits ready for a picnic at Thoman Park.
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MetroBus can make transit easier
The St. Louis area’s MetroBus network extends to O’Fallon with several stops around the city. There are stops in the region’s MetroLink light rail system in the nearby communities of Shiloh and Fairview Heights, too, which are options for commutes to St. Louis. Drivers have quick access to Interstate 64, which can get them to Downtown St. Louis in about 18 miles. The MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, by Scott Air Force Base, offers nonstop flights to more than a dozen destinations.
Crime
According to Illinois State Police statistics, O’Fallon experienced a drop in overall crime from 2023 to 2024. The city’s violent and property crime rates rank below national levels, according to the FBI Crime Data Explorer.
John Powel Walsh, Master Negotiator, Real Estate Advisor and Mentor. Licensed Broker in Missouri and Illinois. Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS - NAR) and multiple other designations. Communicates good news and bad news equally fast. John is a trusted advisor and finds creative solutions to each unique situation.
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