Last week, I told you about the Happiest Cities list that featured only 2 Illinois cities landing in the top twenty. Today, we'll be taking a look at the Illinois cities where the residents are probably happy that they live in such a nice spot, but it costs them serious money to live there.

In one of these cities, it costs more to be a resident there than anywhere else in Illinois.

That landscaping had to be pricey. (Getty Images)
That landscaping had to be pricey. (Getty Images)
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To Put Things Into Perspective, Let's Start By Taking A Look At What A Rockford Resident Spends On Bills, Then We'll Move On To The Really Expensive Spots In Illinois

The new study comes from financial website doxo.com, and ranks cities in Illinois (and across the country) based on average household bills to come up with their rankings for Illinois' most expensive cities. Here's what doxo.com says about Rockford:

  • Rockford is the 168th most expensive city in Illinois
  • The average Rockford household pays $1,710 per month on bills
  • The average Rockford household pays $20,516 yearly in bills
  • Household expenses in Rockford are 16.5% less than the national average
  • The average household in Winnebago County pays $1,742 per month on bills
  • The average household in Winnebago County pays $20,904 yearly on bills
  • Household bills in Rockford account for 41% of household income, on average (average household income: $49,566)
  • The average household in Illinois pays $2,121 per month on bills

 

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Getty Images
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Now, Let's Take A Look At The Most Expensive Cities In Illinois

I feel like we should have a drumroll before revealing this, but I really don't think that many of us would have correctly guessed which Illinois city is the most expensive:

Hinsdale.

That's right, Hinsdale takes the trophy for costing its residents more than any other Illinois municipality:

  • The average Hinsdale household pays $3,563 per month on bills
  • The average Hinsdale household pays $42,755 per year on bills
  • Household expenses in Hinsdale are 74.1% higher than the national average
  • Household bills account for 21% of household income, on average (average household income: $202,115)

 

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Getty Images
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And Here's Who Follows Hinsdale On The Illinois Expensive Cities List

Coming in the #2 spot, you've got Winnetka with $3,535 per month in bills, then Lake Forest at $3,319 per month.

Rounding out the top 5 are Wilmette ($3,298 per month), and Barrington ($3,259 per month).

NBCChicago.com:

When it comes to counties, Kendall County topped the list of most expensive, with average bills at $2,958. Lake and DuPage counties followed with bills averaging $2,792 and $2,566, respectively.

Across the state, bills averaged $2,121 per month, making Illinois is the 16th most expensive state for household expenses, the report claims.

LOOK: The 25 least expensive states to live in

Here are the top 25 states with the lowest cost of living in 2022, using data Stacker culled from the Council for Community and Economic Research.

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