Illinois Rent Costs Compared Nationwide

Illinois Rent Costs Compared to the Most Affordable Cities in America

We all need a roof over our heads, but paying rent is not something most of us look forward to. The thing is, depending on where you live, it’s either slightly annoying or doing some serious damage to your paycheck.

How Much of Your Income Goes to Rent in the U.S.

A new WalletHub study looks at more than 180 US cities to see how much of your income goes toward rent, and the gap is actually kind of surprising. In the cheapest cities in America, rent takes up only about 15% of your income, but in the most expensive cities, it's about 34%. That right there is the difference between how often you’re going out for dinner and how often you're just snuggling up with a packet of ramen.

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Midwest Cities Offer the Most Affordable Rent

To find the cities catching the biggest break on rent, you need to head to North Dakota, where Bismarck was named the most affordable city for rent in America. Sioux Falls and Cedar Rapids aren’t far behind. Are you getting the feeling that rent is cheaper in the Midwest? You might be on to something.

Where Illinois Cities Rank for Rent Affordability

As for the Land of Lincoln, Aurora is the cheapest, ranked 36th overall. Not bad, but still not great, and it’s the least expensive for rent in the entire state of Illinois. Chicago, in case you’re wondering, was listed at 67, and Rockford, to no one’s surprise, wasn’t ranked at all.

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Why Your ZIP Code Matters for Rent Costs

The thing that matters most is your ZIP code when it comes to rent and how much leftover money you’ll have. Some cities will leave you some cash for beer and road trips, while others will have you staring at your bank app, wondering where you went wrong.