Rental Market in
Illinois

Median rents, affordability ratios, and city-by-city breakdowns across 5 metro areas.

State Average Rent

$---

-6.1% vs national

Lowest Rent

$---

Rockford

Highest Rent

$---

Chicago

Avg Rent-to-Income

---%of annual income

Rent Landscape

Chicago

$2,292

37% income

Naperville

$2,157

17% income

Elgin

$1,736

24% income

Joliet

$1,559

21% income

Rockford

$1,151

26% income

<30% Affordable 30-40% Stretched >40% Unaffordable National avg

All Cities

City	Median Rent	Affordability	Population
Chicago	$2,292	36.6%	2,664,452
Naperville	$2,157	17.1%	150,245
Elgin	$1,736	23.6%	113,310
Joliet	$1,559	21.3%	150,489
Rockford	$1,151	25.9%	146,120

Affordability Breakdown

Affordable (<30%)4

Stretched (30–40%)1

Unaffordable (>40%)0

Most Affordable

1.Rockford$1,151 2.Joliet$1,559 3.Elgin$1,736 4.Naperville$2,157 5.Chicago$2,292

Most Expensive

1.Chicago$2,292 2.Naperville$2,157 3.Elgin$1,736 4.Joliet$1,559 5.Rockford$1,151

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Housing Market Cost of Living Salaries

Data Sources & Methodology

Rent Data: According to Zillow ZORI (Zillow Observed Rent Index), the industry standard for median asking rent data.

Income Data: According to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023, table B19013 — median household income.

Affordability: Calculated as (Monthly Rent × 12) ÷ Annual Income × 100%. The 30% threshold is the HUD standard.

Updated monthly

Last refresh: Mar 20, 2026

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Rental Market inIllinois

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Rental Market inIllinois

Rental Market in
Illinois

Rental Market in
Illinois