For stable relatively recession proof investments with decent cash flow & stable modest appreciation I'd look at one of the midwestern urban centers with diversified economy and positive population growth.

Here is a list of a few that I find to be of most value:Population TotalHome ValuesHousehold IncomesPoverty RatePopulation AgeRental Vacancy Rate*Homeowner Vacancy Rate*Educational Attainment Rate (High School/GED & Bachelors)Number of Housing UnitRent to Income Ratio*Rent to Price Ratio*Population on SNAPS (supplemental nutrition assistance program) percentageProperty Tax Rate*Median Age of BuildingsNumber of Structures by Units (SFR, Duplex, Triplex, Quadplex, etc...)Median Rents by Number of BedroomsPopulation Change (Births, Deaths, In-Migrations, Immigrants)*note that some of the metrics are composites that are computed by comparing two or more variables from the ACSA number of the variables above can also be broken up into cohorts, which will give you even more insight into how an area is doing.

Downtown Columbus Ohio especially around the five 2050 corridors mentioned by the insight group to accommodate the 1 million plus in population growth by 2050.https://www.columbusunderground.com/columbus-development-corridors-morpc-bw1

We are looking for a smaller population, just not a huge city.

My area is experiencing a boom in the housing market and I’m trying to get at least one or two properties before the guaranteed increase in population coming 2 years from now.

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I know nothing about this 10 to 25 unit market but I have to chuckle at the logic of the standard, Illinois is crap, responses.Taxes, rules, laws, regulations, population decline, state/local financial strength....any of these commonly cited Illinois/Chicago "issues" are baked into the price and the deal.If it were actually the case that these issues made Illinois property less attractive, then you would actually find what appear to be MORE deals because demand to own property would be weak.

System i use has automatic late fees that populate on the 5th of each month.

College education rates are also really low at 6%Rent to income rates are increasing rapidly and show a rent-burdened tenant base in the areaYield metrics such as cap rate and rent to price ratio are both high and increasing, indicating a growing perceived market riskThe fundamentals also look rather bleak with homes values seemingly stagnant and population numbers declining rather quickly.  

@David Esteban - start with running the numbers and let the end result be your starting point, before jumping into an analysis of factors such as population growth, job growth, market saturation, etc..