Rent affordability
How much rent can you afford in Illinois?
At Illinois's median household income of $83,211, the 30% rule leaves about $1,865 a month for rent after about $215 in utilities, internet, and renters insurance. 1-bedroom medians run from $830 in the Bloomington metro to $1,536 in the Chicago metro. Each of the 6 city pages below adds its metro's rent and local utilities.
Max rent in Illinois
$1,865/mo
30% of gross income is $2,080 a month. Utilities, internet, and renters insurance take $215, which leaves $1,865 for rent.
Metro 1-bedroom medians here run from $830 to $1,536. Pick a city below to compare one with your max.
- Take-home
- $5,271/moAfter estimated federal tax, state tax, and FICA.
- Move-in cash
- $3,730First month and a one-month deposit, at your max rent.
- Landlord screen
- $2,311/moHighest rent if a landlord wants income of 36× the rent.
Monthly budget
Where take-home pay of $5,271 goes at your max rent of $1,865. Each slice is its share of take-home.
- Rent35%$1,865
- Electric, gas, water3%$128
- Internet1%$74
- Renters insurance<1%$13
- Left over61%$3,191
Housing comes to $2,080 a month, 30% of gross income and 39% of take-home. That leaves $3,191 for food, transportation, savings, and everything else.
Rent by metro in Illinois
Cities in the same metro share its median rent, as of August 2026. Each city page compares that rent with your max and adds local utilities and Census figures for the city.
Chicago metro
$1,536 1-bed
Bloomington metro
$830 1-bed
Household income in Illinois
The U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 American Community Survey 1-year estimates put median household income in Illinois at $83,211. That was up 0.7% from $82,666 in 2023. The margin of error on the 2024 figure is $898. The estimate covers income of everyone age 15 or older in the household, in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars.
Household utility bills in Illinois
These are typical monthly bills for all household types in Illinois, not an apartment quote. The rent calculator uses a smaller apartment estimate for electricity, gas, water, sewer, and trash, plus the internet row. The all-household core of those housing bills is $318 a month.
| Bill | Monthly |
|---|---|
| Electricity | $103 |
| Natural gas | $96 |
| Water | $28 |
| Sewer | $29 |
| Trash | $62 |
| Internet | $74 |
Methodology and sources
Updated . Max rent is 30% of gross monthly income minus estimated utilities, internet, and renters insurance. If you enter other bills, max rent also keeps housing plus those bills within 36% of gross income, a debt-to-income ratio lenders generally consider good. Take-home pay uses 2026 federal brackets, Illinois's 2025 single-filer income tax brackets, and FICA. Metro rents are Apartment List estimates. City pages add Census American Community Survey 5-year estimates. See how Illinois's metros compare in the rent affordability rankings. None of this is tax, legal, or housing advice.