Rents are 3% below what Bloomington's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,270 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
December. Asking rents in Bloomington usually run 0.5% below trend in December and 1% above it in July, about $19 a month apart at today's median. Based on 9 years of data.
Rent in Bloomington is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in December 2016.
Rent in Bloomington changed +5.0% over the year to September 2026. Across the 94 Illinois cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +4.0%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Bloomington rose 53.8% while median household income rose 14.6% ($67,507 to $77,384). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Bloomington is 64.9% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 9 months in a row, and rose in 11 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($77,384) is $1,935 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 4-bedroom ($1,450).
Washington, 28 miles away, rents for 22% less ($988/mo), about $3,400 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Bloomington. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Bloomington, IL is majority owner-occupied, 48.7% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Bloomington, IL has changed in 5 years
Rent in Bloomington, IL has climbed 57.2% since 2021, going from about $808 per month to roughly $1,270 today. Median household income grew from $69,003 to $77,384 between 2021 and 2024, a 12.1% shift. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 45.1 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Taken together, the five-year picture in Bloomington, IL reflects how housing costs and the people paying them have evolved through a stretch that included a pandemic, a hot rental market, and a recent cooling phase.
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At $1,270/mo, how Bloomington rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Bloomington rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Bloomington. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Bloomington
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Bloomington is $1,270/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $770/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,085/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $840/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,450/mo.
At 20% of local median household income ($77,384/yr), Bloomington ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 5.0% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Bloomington?
At $1,270/mo, rent takes ~20% of Bloomington's median household income ($77,384/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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