Rents are right about where Des Plaines's 10-year trend predicts.
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 $2,079 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
January. Asking rents in Des Plaines usually run 1.3% below trend in January and 0.9% above it in July, about $46 a month apart at today's median. Based on 9 years of data.
Rent in Des Plaines is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2017.
Rent in Des Plaines changed +6.4% 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 Des Plaines rose 34.3% while median household income rose 40.3% ($69,760 to $97,875). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in Des Plaines is 41.3% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent rose in 9 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($97,875) is $2,447 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 3-bedroom ($2,125); a 4-bedroom is $2,500.
Mount Prospect, 4 miles away, rents for 12% less ($1,835/mo), about $2,900 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Des Plaines. 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
Des Plaines, IL is majority owner-occupied, has a large retiree population, has a median income above the national average, 38.9% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Des Plaines, IL has changed in 5 years
Across the past five years, the going rent in Des Plaines, IL has shifted from $1,489 to $2,079, up 39.6% since 2021. Local incomes tracked alongside that move, going from a median of $79,453 in 2021 to $97,875 more recently. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. Census counts show Des Plaines, IL losing about 1,257 residents over the five-year window, down 2.1% on net. These shifts give renters and would-be renters a longer baseline for sizing up today's listings against the Des Plaines, IL market of 2021.
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Can you afford rent in Des Plaines on your salary?
At $2,079/mo, how Des Plaines rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Des Plaines rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Des Plaines. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Des Plaines
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Des Plaines is $2,079/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,370/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,655/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,465/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,125/mo.
At 25% of local median household income ($97,875/yr), Des Plaines ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 6.4% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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At $2,079/mo, rent takes ~25% of Des Plaines's median household income ($97,875/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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