Belleville, Illinois, is the closest major city to Scott AFB. Belleville has about 45,000 people, and is in St. Clair County, which has a population of about 271,000 people. Other nearby small communities include Fairview Heights (18,000), O'Fallon (29,000), Shiloh (12,000), and Swansea (11,000), and a few other local towns of less than 10,000 people. It is about 9 miles from downtown Belleville to Scott AFB; this takes about 18 minutes to commute.

Local Housing Rental Prices: The average apartment rent in the Belleville area ranges from $400 to $600 per month, with a median of about $500 per month.

Local Housing Purchase Prices: The average price for a house in Belleville is about $112,000, compared to $260,000 for Illinois. The average price for a house in St. Clair County is about $140,000.

Short Description of the Area: Belleville is a mid-sized city in southern Illinois, and the largest city in the eastern section of the St. Louis metro area. This is river bottom land and low hills, just a few dozen miles north of the North-South Line, and is smack-dab in the middle of Middle America.

Climate and Weather: The area has a variable climate, and is on the line between the cold air of the north and the warm air of the south, resulting in strong swings from winter to summer. Winter temperatures are typically 20F to 40F; summer temperatures are typically 65-90F, but deeper cold snaps can hit in winter and heat waves can spike in summer. The area usually has moderate snow in winter, and thunderstorms in summer, with occasional tornadoes.