Chicago rent is up 55% since 2015, and the sharpest jump came this year
Typical rent in Chicago has climbed from about $1,552 in mid-2015 to $2,409 in mid-2026. That's a 55% increase over eleven years, and the steepest single-year jump of the entire run, 9.3%, happened in the past twelve months.
So the story people tell about Chicago rent, that it rises slower than the coasts, was true right up until it wasn't.
Eleven years, one line going up
The climb wasn't steady. Rent barely moved from 2015 to 2021, adding about $188 across six years. Then it broke loose. The stretch from 2021 to 2026 added $669, more than three times the gain of the prior six years in less than the time.
Year (June) | Typical rent | Change from prior shown |
|---|---|---|
2015 | $1,552 | n/a |
2018 | $1,675 | +7.9% |
2020 | $1,722 | +2.8% |
2021 | $1,740 | +1.0% |
2022 | $1,904 | +9.4% |
2023 | $2,021 | +6.1% |
2024 | $2,113 | +4.6% |
2025 | $2,205 | +4.4% |
2026 | $2,409 | +9.3% |
Why this year stands out
Most cities cooled off after the 2022 rent shock. Chicago did the opposite. After three years of rises slowing down, from 9.4% to 6.1% to 4.6% to 4.4%, the pace snapped back up to 9.3%. That reacceleration is unusual, and it puts Chicago among the fastest-rising big-city markets we track right now, alongside San Jose and New York.
The pressure isn't spread evenly by apartment size. A studio now runs about $1,595, a one-bedroom $1,705, and a two-bedroom $1,925. The one-bedroom is where most of the demand sits, and it's the size that has moved most in percentage terms.
What $857 more a month actually costs you
The abstract 55% is easy to wave off. The dollars aren't. A renter who signed at the 2015 typical of $1,552 and stayed through today's $2,409 has watched their rent rise $857 a month, which is $10,284 more a year for the same kind of apartment.
Against a Chicago median household income of about $77,902, the typical rent now eats roughly 37% of gross pay, past the 30% line that housing economists use as the affordability marker. For a fuller sense of what a healthy share looks like, see our guide to the rent rule of thumb, and track the live citywide figure on our Chicago rent page.
Sources
RentDataNow Chicago rent history (Zillow Observed Rent Index, monthly, 2015 to June 2026)
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey, median household income
Frequently Asked Questions
How much has Chicago rent gone up since 2015?
About 55%. The typical unit went from roughly $1,552 in mid-2015 to $2,409 in mid-2026, an increase of $857 a month, or $10,284 a year for the same apartment.
Is Chicago rent still rising?
Yes, and faster than before. After three years of the pace slowing, rent jumped 9.3% in the past year, the largest single-year increase in the eleven-year record.
How much is a one-bedroom in Chicago?
About $1,705 a month as of June 2026. A studio runs roughly $1,595 and a two-bedroom $1,925.
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Henry Jo is a housing analyst covering rent data, affordability, city comparisons, and much more. He started following rental data while apartment hunting in two cities at once, and he lives in the Pacific Northwest.
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