Rent Affordability for A Chef in Illinois
A typical chef in Illinois earns about $65,433 a year, which supports approximately $1,636 a month in rent under the 30% rule. Below, every tracked Illinois city is ranked by how local rent compares against that affordability ceiling.
As of May 2026. 66 of 158 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 92 are rent-burdened on this salary.
| City↕ | Median rent↕ | % of income↑ | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston, IL | $730/mo | 13.4% | very comfortable |
| Carbondale, IL | $749/mo | 13.7% | very comfortable |
| Rantoul, IL | $808/mo | 14.8% | very comfortable |
| Pekin, IL | $843/mo | 15.5% | very comfortable |
| East Alton, IL | $850/mo | 15.6% | very comfortable |
| Danville, IL | $867/mo | 15.9% | very comfortable |
| Rock Island, IL | $918/mo | 16.8% | very comfortable |
| Macomb, IL | $919/mo | 16.9% | very comfortable |
| Alton, IL | $985/mo | 18.1% | very comfortable |
| Moline, IL | $998/mo | 18.3% | very comfortable |
| East Peoria, IL | $1,000/mo | 18.3% | very comfortable |
| Wood River, IL | $1,000/mo | 18.3% | very comfortable |
| Herrin, IL | $1,006/mo | 18.4% | very comfortable |
| Granite City, IL | $1,013/mo | 18.6% | very comfortable |
| Decatur, IL | $1,019/mo | 18.7% | very comfortable |
| Belleville, IL | $1,048/mo | 19.2% | very comfortable |
| Marion, IL | $1,071/mo | 19.6% | very comfortable |
| La Salle, IL | $1,075/mo | 19.7% | very comfortable |
| Bethalto, IL | $1,117/mo | 20.5% | affordable |
| Dixon, IL | $1,133/mo | 20.8% | affordable |
| Kankakee, IL | $1,160/mo | 21.3% | affordable |
| Peoria Heights, IL | $1,161/mo | 21.3% | affordable |
| Pontoon Beach, IL | $1,175/mo | 21.5% | affordable |
| Springfield, IL | $1,176/mo | 21.6% | affordable |
| Highland, IL | $1,200/mo | 22% | affordable |
| Rockford, IL | $1,208/mo | 22.2% | affordable |
| Cicero, IL | $1,229/mo | 22.5% | affordable |
| Riverdale, IL | $1,232/mo | 22.6% | affordable |
| Peoria, IL | $1,236/mo | 22.7% | affordable |
| Urbana, IL | $1,249/mo | 22.9% | affordable |
| Quincy, IL | $1,256/mo | 23% | affordable |
| Collinsville, IL | $1,255/mo | 23% | affordable |
| Blue Island, IL | $1,258/mo | 23.1% | affordable |
| Washington, IL | $1,324/mo | 24.3% | affordable |
| Broadview, IL | $1,343/mo | 24.6% | affordable |
| Waterloo, IL | $1,350/mo | 24.8% | affordable |
| Bloomington, IL | $1,368/mo | 25.1% | affordable |
| Dekalb, IL | $1,371/mo | 25.1% | affordable |
| Midlothian, IL | $1,375/mo | 25.2% | affordable |
| Cahokia, IL | $1,375/mo | 25.2% | affordable |
| Fairview Heights, IL | $1,379/mo | 25.3% | affordable |
| Shiloh, IL | $1,382/mo | 25.3% | affordable |
| Ottawa, IL | $1,391/mo | 25.5% | affordable |
| Normal, IL | $1,403/mo | 25.7% | affordable |
| Champaign, IL | $1,410/mo | 25.9% | affordable |
| Maywood, IL | $1,424/mo | 26.1% | affordable |
| Troy, IL | $1,425/mo | 26.1% | affordable |
| Worth, IL | $1,463/mo | 26.8% | affordable |
| Machesney Park, IL | $1,469/mo | 26.9% | affordable |
| Berwyn, IL | $1,472/mo | 27% | affordable |
| Swansea, IL | $1,484/mo | 27.2% | affordable |
| Woodstock, IL | $1,492/mo | 27.4% | affordable |
| Chicago Heights, IL | $1,498/mo | 27.5% | affordable |
| Bourbonnais, IL | $1,511/mo | 27.7% | affordable |
| Chicago Ridge, IL | $1,519/mo | 27.9% | affordable |
| Edwardsville, IL | $1,525/mo | 28% | affordable |
| Zion, IL | $1,526/mo | 28% | affordable |
| Bridgeview, IL | $1,532/mo | 28.1% | affordable |
| Alsip, IL | $1,544/mo | 28.3% | affordable |
| Sycamore, IL | $1,543/mo | 28.3% | affordable |
| Bradley, IL | $1,544/mo | 28.3% | affordable |
| Savoy, IL | $1,557/mo | 28.6% | affordable |
| O Fallon, IL | $1,599/mo | 29.3% | affordable |
| Joliet, IL | $1,614/mo | 29.6% | affordable |
| Forest Park, IL | $1,620/mo | 29.7% | affordable |
| Calumet City, IL | $1,629/mo | 29.9% | affordable |
| Waukegan, IL | $1,648/mo | 30.2% | stretched |
| Elmwood Park, IL | $1,671/mo | 30.6% | stretched |
| Franklin Park, IL | $1,700/mo | 31.2% | stretched |
| Chatham, IL | $1,713/mo | 31.4% | stretched |
| Mount Prospect, IL | $1,718/mo | 31.5% | stretched |
| Woodridge, IL | $1,718/mo | 31.5% | stretched |
| Lansing, IL | $1,715/mo | 31.5% | stretched |
| La Grange Park, IL | $1,751/mo | 32.1% | stretched |
| Elk Grove Village, IL | $1,781/mo | 32.7% | stretched |
| Morton, IL | $1,799/mo | 33% | stretched |
| Carol Stream, IL | $1,822/mo | 33.4% | stretched |
| Brookfield, IL | $1,828/mo | 33.5% | stretched |
| Oak Lawn, IL | $1,848/mo | 33.9% | stretched |
| Addison, IL | $1,853/mo | 34% | stretched |
| Bensenville, IL | $1,865/mo | 34.2% | stretched |
| Saint Charles, IL | $1,884/mo | 34.6% | stretched |
| McHenry, IL | $1,893/mo | 34.7% | stretched |
| Batavia, IL | $1,900/mo | 34.8% | stretched |
| Elgin, IL | $1,909/mo | 35% | stretched |
| Mahomet, IL | $1,906/mo | 35% | stretched |
| Westmont, IL | $1,928/mo | 35.4% | stretched |
| Lisle, IL | $1,939/mo | 35.6% | stretched |
| Arlington Heights, IL | $1,949/mo | 35.7% | stretched |
| Glendale Heights, IL | $1,949/mo | 35.7% | stretched |
| Gurnee, IL | $1,965/mo | 36% | stretched |
| Park Forest, IL | $1,981/mo | 36.3% | stretched |
| Rolling Meadows, IL | $1,984/mo | 36.4% | stretched |
| Palatine, IL | $1,990/mo | 36.5% | stretched |
| Willowbrook, IL | $2,005/mo | 36.8% | stretched |
| Des Plaines, IL | $2,031/mo | 37.2% | stretched |
| Lockport, IL | $2,029/mo | 37.2% | stretched |
| Hoffman Estates, IL | $2,032/mo | 37.3% | stretched |
| Lake Bluff, IL | $2,068/mo | 37.9% | stretched |
| Lombard, IL | $2,086/mo | 38.3% | stretched |
| Romeoville, IL | $2,089/mo | 38.3% | stretched |
| Schaumburg, IL | $2,099/mo | 38.5% | stretched |
| Wheeling, IL | $2,103/mo | 38.6% | stretched |
| Crystal Lake, IL | $2,112/mo | 38.7% | stretched |
| Round Lake Beach, IL | $2,142/mo | 39.3% | stretched |
| Oak Park, IL | $2,160/mo | 39.6% | stretched |
| Bartlett, IL | $2,162/mo | 39.6% | stretched |
| Niles, IL | $2,160/mo | 39.6% | stretched |
| Lake in the Hills, IL | $2,160/mo | 39.6% | stretched |
| Darien, IL | $2,158/mo | 39.6% | stretched |
| Wheaton, IL | $2,169/mo | 39.8% | stretched |
| West Dundee, IL | $2,208/mo | 40.5% | rent-burdened |
| Geneva, IL | $2,221/mo | 40.7% | rent-burdened |
| Itasca, IL | $2,228/mo | 40.9% | rent-burdened |
| Richton Park, IL | $2,244/mo | 41.2% | rent-burdened |
| Skokie, IL | $2,250/mo | 41.3% | rent-burdened |
| Downers Grove, IL | $2,264/mo | 41.5% | rent-burdened |
| North Aurora, IL | $2,263/mo | 41.5% | rent-burdened |
| Montgomery, IL | $2,276/mo | 41.7% | rent-burdened |
| Antioch, IL | $2,274/mo | 41.7% | rent-burdened |
| Aurora, IL | $2,287/mo | 41.9% | rent-burdened |
| Carpentersville, IL | $2,285/mo | 41.9% | rent-burdened |
| Naperville, IL | $2,310/mo | 42.4% | rent-burdened |
| Highwood, IL | $2,332/mo | 42.8% | rent-burdened |
| Dolton, IL | $2,337/mo | 42.9% | rent-burdened |
| Round Lake, IL | $2,350/mo | 43.1% | rent-burdened |
| Mundelein, IL | $2,356/mo | 43.2% | rent-burdened |
| Evergreen Park, IL | $2,353/mo | 43.2% | rent-burdened |
| Yorkville, IL | $2,372/mo | 43.5% | rent-burdened |
| La Grange, IL | $2,386/mo | 43.8% | rent-burdened |
| Chicago, IL | $2,409/mo | 44.2% | rent-burdened |
| Buffalo Grove, IL | $2,418/mo | 44.3% | rent-burdened |
| Oswego, IL | $2,415/mo | 44.3% | rent-burdened |
| Warrenville, IL | $2,423/mo | 44.4% | rent-burdened |
| Vernon Hills, IL | $2,436/mo | 44.7% | rent-burdened |
| Elmhurst, IL | $2,449/mo | 44.9% | rent-burdened |
| Roselle, IL | $2,447/mo | 44.9% | rent-burdened |
| Grayslake, IL | $2,461/mo | 45.1% | rent-burdened |
| Streamwood, IL | $2,475/mo | 45.4% | rent-burdened |
| Glen Ellyn, IL | $2,480/mo | 45.5% | rent-burdened |
| Morton Grove, IL | $2,483/mo | 45.5% | rent-burdened |
| Barrington, IL | $2,487/mo | 45.6% | rent-burdened |
| Deerfield, IL | $2,499/mo | 45.8% | rent-burdened |
| Hazel Crest, IL | $2,503/mo | 45.9% | rent-burdened |
| Glenview, IL | $2,520/mo | 46.2% | rent-burdened |
| Homewood, IL | $2,524/mo | 46.3% | rent-burdened |
| Bloomingdale, IL | $2,538/mo | 46.5% | rent-burdened |
| Evanston, IL | $2,562/mo | 47% | rent-burdened |
| Park Ridge, IL | $2,598/mo | 47.6% | rent-burdened |
| Matteson, IL | $2,621/mo | 48.1% | rent-burdened |
| Bolingbrook, IL | $2,693/mo | 49.4% | rent-burdened |
| Libertyville, IL | $2,776/mo | 50.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Plainfield, IL | $2,898/mo | 53.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Highland Park, IL | $2,980/mo | 54.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Orland Park, IL | $3,018/mo | 55.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Northbrook, IL | $3,067/mo | 56.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Wilmette, IL | $3,703/mo | 67.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lake Forest, IL | $5,171/mo | 94.8% | severely rent-burdened |