Rents are 9% below what Wheaton'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 $2,375 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 Wheaton usually run 1.1% below trend in December and 0.9% above it in June, about $48 a month apart at today's median. Based on 6 years of data.
Rent in Wheaton is 0.8% below its high of $2,393 in August 2026, at $2,375 as of September 2026.
Rent in Wheaton changed +0.3% over the year to September 2026. Across the 94 Illinois cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +4.0%.
Rent in Wheaton is 41.2% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent rose in 6 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($120,008) is $3,000 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 3-bedroom ($2,755); a 4-bedroom is $3,235.
Carol Stream, 4 miles away, rents for 22% less ($1,844/mo), about $6,400 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Wheaton. 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
Wheaton, IL is majority owner-occupied, has a median income above the national average, 64.5% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Wheaton, IL has changed in 5 years
The median rent in Wheaton, IL stood at $1,722 in 2021 and currently runs about $2,375, reflecting a 37.9% increase over the period. Median household income rose from $108,737 to $120,008 between 2021 and 2024, a 10.4% shift. That spread, with rent up faster than earnings, points to a tougher affordability environment than five years ago. Renters now make up 28.3% of households, compared with 26.2% five years ago. Taken together, the five-year picture in Wheaton, 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 $2,375/mo, how Wheaton rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Wheaton rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Wheaton. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Wheaton
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Wheaton is $2,375/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,775/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,145/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,900/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,755/mo.
At 24% of local median household income ($120,008/yr), Wheaton ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 0.3% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Wheaton?
At $2,375/mo, rent takes ~24% of Wheaton's median household income ($120,008/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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