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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
If you're comparing cities, this is the number to watch. Rockford is a clear outlier at index 67. #1-ranked Rockford has a cost index 37 points lower than the top-5 average of 104. That's not a marginal lead — it's a category of its own.
#1 Ranked: Rockford — cost index 67, rent $1,151/mo, income $53,328
Rockford is a clear outlier at index 67
3 of 5 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
If you're comparing cities, this is the number to watch. Rockford is a clear outlier at index 67. #1-ranked Rockford has a cost index 37 points lower than the top-5 average of 104. That's not a marginal lead — it's a category of its own.
A 67-point spread tells the whole story in Illinois: Rockford at index 67 vs. Chicago at 134. The difference translates to roughly $1,141/month in rent alone ($1,151 vs. $2,292). Which side of that divide you land on shapes your entire budget. Full 5-city ranking below.
Rockford earns its position at #1 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 67 cost index sits 44 points below the national baseline, and the $53,328 — we had to double-check this one — median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $172,610 — $294,760 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Housing leads the way at 67, while Healthcare trails at 93.
(Tangentially — this is the kind of city where you can actually build equity on a median salary, which is increasingly rare.)
If the first stat impressed you, this one grounds it. And on balance, across Illinois, the average cost of living index is 104 — 7 points below the national median. Known for Chicago's premium versus downstate bargains, the state offers 5 tracked cities with median rents averaging $1,779/month. That's $116 less than the national average of $1,895. That's a meaningful edge in practice.
Bottom line: Rockford leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
#1-ranked Rockford has a cost index 37 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.
Rockford (index 67) and Chicago (index 134) sit 67 points apart on the cost index — proof that Illinois is far from monolithic in affordability.
146,120 residents · Illinois
Here's Rockford by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). Cost index: 67. Rent: $1,151/month. Income: $53,328/year. Home price: $172,610. Population: 146,120. The strongest category is Housing at 67; the most expensive is Healthcare at 93. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $8,928 per year vs. the national median. That's the kind of affordability that turns 'maybe someday' into 'next month.' (and that gap widens if you factor in state taxes).
150,489 residents · Illinois
What does daily life actually cost in Joliet? Start with the 21% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. On the category level, Housing (index 91) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 98) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $88,026 and homes at $255,981 round out a profile that ranks #2 for clear reasons.
113,310 residents · Illinois
Here's Elgin by the numbers — and there's a lot to like (and a little to watch). And on balance, cost index: 101. Rent: $1,736/month. Income: $88,316/year. Home price: $323,259. Population: 113,310. The strongest category is Healthcare at 100; the most expensive is Housing at 101. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are saving renters $1,908 per year vs. the national median. The data here speaks for itself.
150,245 residents · Illinois
Naperville earns its position at #4 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 126 cost index sits 15 points above the national baseline, and the $150,937 median income means purchasing power here is partially offset by higher costs. Homes list at $594,498 — $127,128 above the national median, reflecting the local market dynamics. On the cost side, Healthcare leads the way at 105, while Housing trails at 126.
2,664,452 residents · Illinois
A closer look at Chicago: the cost index of 134 breaks down to a Healthcare index of 107 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 134 (weakest). And as a general rule, median rent is $2,292/month — 21% above the national median — while household income sits at $75,134, meaning locals spend about 37% of income on rent. That exceeds the recommended 30% threshold — affordability here depends on earning above the median.
Rent is the single largest expense for most households. We rank all tracked cities in Illinois by median 1-bedroom rent (Zillow ZORI) from lowest to highest, filtering out any cities with incomplete data. 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 67 and median income of $53,328.
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 67 and rent of $1,151/mo, while Chicago (ranked #5) has a cost index of 134 and rent of $2,292/mo — a 67-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.
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.