How much rent can you afford in Charleston, IL?
Run your salary against Charleston's current rent, or find the income you'd need for a target rent. Powered by live RentDataNow medians.
The 30% rent rule, in Charleston
At a median rent of $732/mo, Charleston is very affordable when measured against Charleston median household income of $49,300/yr. Rent would consume roughly 18% of pre-tax income, and a salary of about $29,280 keeps rent at the recommended 30% threshold.
How Charleston compares nearby
Median rent for the closest cities with data.
Frequently asked
How much rent can I afford in Charleston?
On a $49,300 salary (the Charleston median household income), the recommended ceiling is 30% of pre-tax income, or about $1,233/mo. Charleston's median rent is $732/mo. Use the calculator on this page to run your own salary.
What salary do I need to live in Charleston?
To keep Charleston's $732/mo median rent under 30% of income, you'd need about $29,280/yr. Lower your target share (e.g. 25%) to need more, or raise it (e.g. 40%) to need less.
Is Charleston affordable on the median Illinois income?
Charleston is very affordable on a $49,300 income. Rent would take 18% of pre-tax pay, inside the recommended 30% threshold.
What's the 30% rent rule?
The 30% rule is a long-standing budgeting guideline that keeps rent at or below 30% of gross (pre-tax) income. It leaves enough room for utilities, transit, savings, and debt service. In high-cost markets, many renters exceed 30%, and the Census Bureau classifies households paying more than 30% of income on rent as "cost-burdened".