Rents are 6% below what Saint Charles'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 $1,956 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 Saint Charles usually run 2.1% below trend in January and 1.6% above it in July, about $72 a month apart at today's median. Based on 5 years of data.
Rent in Saint Charles is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in February 2021.
Rent in Saint Charles changed +4.0% over the year to September 2026. Across the 94 Illinois cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +4.0%.
Rent rose in 7 of the last 12 months.
Woodridge, 19 miles away, rents for 16% less ($1,638/mo), about $3,800 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Saint Charles. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series.
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How Saint Charles, IL has changed in 5 years
Since 2021, the typical rent in Saint Charles, IL has climbed from $1,379 to $1,956, a 41.8% change over five years. Taken together, the five-year picture in Saint Charles, 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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Can you afford rent in Saint Charles on your salary?
At $1,956/mo, how Saint Charles rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Saint Charles rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Saint Charles. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Saint Charles
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Saint Charles is $1,956/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,750/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,110/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,870/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,710/mo.
At 33% of estimated US median household income ($72,000/yr), Saint Charles ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 4.0% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does Saint Charles rent compare to other cities in Illinois?
At $1,956/mo, rent takes ~33% of US median household income ($72,000/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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