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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
This is one of the closest races in our database: the top 5 cities are separated by just 8 points on the cost index. Chicago, Joliet, Naperville, Rockford, Elgin are all within striking distance. At this margin, secondary factors — taxes, rent trends, category-specific costs — become the tiebreakers…
#1 Ranked: Chicago — cost index 111, rent $2,292/mo, income $75,134
Top 5 separated by only 8 points
4 of 5 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
This is one of the closest races in our database: the top 5 cities are separated by just 8 points on the cost index. Chicago, Joliet, Naperville, Rockford, Elgin are all within striking distance. At this margin, secondary factors — taxes, rent trends, category-specific costs — become the tiebreakers. Here's the full breakdown.
The ranking uses a composite of 2026 data from Census Bureau population/income surveys, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary benchmarks, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Chicago (index 111, rent $2,292); Joliet (index 97, rent $1,559); Naperville (index 122, rent $2,157). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
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. Over thirty years of homeownership, the property tax savings alone are staggering.
Bottom line: Chicago 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.
The race is tight: Chicago, Joliet, Naperville, Rockford, Elgin are all within 8 points of each other. At this level, differences in rent, taxes, or a single category can sway the decision.
Rent in #1-ranked Chicago has increased from $2,179 to $2,292/mo over the past 12 months — a 5% increase. Rising costs may erode its top ranking over time.
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. Even in a down market, this kind of cost structure protects household budgets.
150,489 residents · Illinois
Joliet earns its position at #2 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 97 cost index sits 15 points below the national baseline, and the $88,026 median income means purchasing power here is genuinely above average. Homes list at $255,981 — $211,389 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Utilities leads the way at 89, while Healthcare trails at 100.
150,245 residents · Illinois
Here's Naperville by the numbers — and there's a lot to like. Cost index: 122. Rent: $2,157/month — and yes, that's adjusted for the region — . Income: $150,937/year. Home price: $594,498. Population: 150,245. The strongest category is Utilities at 112; the most expensive is Housing at 154. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are costing renters $3,144 more per year vs. the national median. Year over year, that savings rate is portfolio-grade.
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. And on balance, 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.
113,310 residents · Illinois
A closer look at Elgin: the cost index of 103 — for better or worse — breaks down to a Utilities index of 94 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 106 (weakest). Median rent is $1,736/month — 8% below the national median — while household income sits at $88,316, meaning locals spend about 24% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
Chicago ranks #1 in Illinois for this analysis with a cost index of 111 and median income of $75,134.
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.
Chicago (ranked #1) has a cost index of 111 and rent of $2,292/mo, while Elgin (ranked #5) has a cost index of 103 and rent of $1,736/mo — a 8-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 Chicago is $2,292/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $397 above the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Chicago is $312,457, which is 4.2× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. 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.