Loading
Assembling your view…
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $100K salary, 5 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices. We ran the numbers on 5 cities in Illinois using 2026 census, rent, and salary data. Rockf…
#1 Ranked: Rockford — cost index 86, rent $1,151/mo, income $53,328
5 of 5 cities keep rent under 30% of $100K
5 of 5 cities keep rent under 30% of $100K gross income
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Rockford | 4.95% | 8.83% | 1.73% | $70,347 |
2Joliet | 4.95% | 8.83% | 1.73% | $70,347 |
3Elgin | 4.95% | 8.83% | 1.73% | $70,347 |
4Naperville | 4.95% | 8.83% | 1.73% | $70,347 |
5Chicago | 4.95% | 8.83% | 1.73% | $70,347 |
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $100K salary, 5 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices. We ran the numbers on 5 cities in Illinois using 2026 census, rent, and salary data. Rockford comes out on top — here's the full ranking and analysis.
What does daily life actually cost in Rockford? Start with the 26% rent-to-income ratio — tight but manageable for most households. On the category level, Housing (index 66) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 89) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $53,328 and homes at $172,610 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
On a $100K salary, the key number is $2,500/month — that's 30% of gross, the standard affordability line. Rockford ($1,151/mo, 14%), Joliet ($1,559/mo, 19%), Elgin ($1,736/mo, 21%) all clear that bar. After federal tax, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax, estimated take-home ranges from $70,347 to $70,347/year across these top picks.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers.
The 30% rule — spending no more than 30% of gross income on housing — is the most widely cited benchmark for affordability. On a $100K salary, 5 cities (100%) meet this threshold. You've got plenty of choices.
#1-ranked Rockford has a cost index 18 points lower than the top-5 average of 104. That's not a marginal lead — it's a category of its own.
Rent ranges from $1,151/mo in Rockford to $2,292/mo in Chicago — a monthly difference of $1,141, or $13,692 per year.
Rent in #1-ranked Rockford has increased from $1,087 to $1,151/mo over the past 12 months — a 6% increase. Rising costs may erode its top ranking over time.
146,120 residents · Illinois
Dive into Rockford's numbers: cost index 86 (26 points below national average), rent $1,151/month, income $53,328, and a home price of $172,610. Pretty standard for this type of city. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 66, while Healthcare runs 89. With 146,120 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
150,489 residents · Illinois
Dive into Joliet's numbers: cost index 97 — for better or worse — (15 points below national average), rent $1,559/month, income $88,026, and a home price of $255,981. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 89, while Healthcare runs 100. With 150,489 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
113,310 residents · Illinois
What does daily life actually cost in Elgin? Start with the 24% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. It's fine. Not great, not bad. On the category level, Utilities (index 94) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 106) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $88,316 and homes at $323,259 round out a profile that ranks #3 for clear reasons.
150,245 residents · Illinois
Why Naperville ranks #4: the numbers tell a clear story. At 122 on the cost index, residents spend roughly 10% more than the typical American. Rent sits at $2,157/month while the median household pulls in $150,937/year. The Utilities category is particularly strong at 112, though Housing (154) lags behind. Home prices average $594,498 — $127,128 above the national median.
2,664,452 residents · Illinois
Here's Chicago by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 111. Rent: $2,292/month. Income: $75,134/year. Home price: $312,457. Population: 2,664,452. The strongest category is Utilities at 102; the most expensive is Housing at 127. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are costing renters $4,764 more per year vs. the national median. At this level, the city practically pays for your move.
We calculate what percentage of a $100K gross salary goes to median rent. Cities where rent consumes less of your paycheck rank higher. We also factor in estimated take-home pay after federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and state income tax. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Rockford ranks #1 in Illinois for this analysis with a cost index of 86 and median income of $53,328.
Yes. On a $100K salary in Rockford, rent would consume about 14% of your gross monthly income. Financial experts recommend keeping rent under 30%. You're well within that guideline.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Rockford (ranked #1) has a cost index of 86 and rent of $1,151/mo, while Chicago (ranked #5) has a cost index of 111 and rent of $2,292/mo — a 25-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Rockford is $1,151/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $744 below the national median of $1,895/month.
After federal taxes, FICA (7.65%), and 4.95% state income tax, estimated take-home on $100K in Rockford is approximately $70,347/year ($5,862/month). After median rent of $1,151/month, you'd have roughly $56,535/year for all other expenses.
The median home price in Rockford is $172,610, which is 3.2× the local median income. That's within the standard 3.5× affordability rule for most local earners. The national median home price is $467,370.
Illinois has a 4.95% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.83%, and the effective property tax rate is 1.73%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.