Rents are 2% above what Edwardsville's 10-year trend predicts — running hotter than its own history.
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 $1,588 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
Rent in Edwardsville is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2023.
Rent in Edwardsville changed +7.6% over the year to September 2026. Across the 94 Illinois cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +4.0%.
Rent has risen 2 months in a row, and rose in 7 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($86,721) is $2,168 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 4-bedroom ($1,930).
Wood River, 8 miles away, rents for 27% less ($1,156/mo), about $5,200 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Edwardsville. 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
Edwardsville, IL is majority owner-occupied, skews toward younger working-age adults, 52.6% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Edwardsville, IL has changed in 5 years
Rent in Edwardsville, IL has climbed 20.3% since 2023, going from about $1,320 per month to roughly $1,588 today. Local incomes tracked alongside that move, going from a median of $78,298 in 2021 to $86,721 more recently. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 9.5 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Headcount in the area went from 25,236 to 26,474 between 2021 and 2024, a 4.9% change. About 33.4% of households rent today, against 35% in 2021. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher slipped from 55.5% to 52.6%. These shifts give renters and would-be renters a longer baseline for sizing up today's listings against the Edwardsville, IL market of 2023.
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Can you afford rent in Edwardsville on your salary?
At $1,588/mo, how Edwardsville rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Edwardsville rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Edwardsville. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Edwardsville
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Edwardsville is $1,588/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,020/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,300/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,050/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,680/mo.
At 22% of local median household income ($86,721/yr), Edwardsville ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 7.6% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
How much income do you need to rent in Edwardsville?
Is rent going up or down in Edwardsville?
How does Edwardsville rent compare to other cities in Illinois?
Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Edwardsville?
At $1,588/mo, rent takes ~22% of Edwardsville's median household income ($86,721/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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