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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carbondale, IL | $673/mo | 12.3% | very comfortable |
| Charleston, IL | $762/mo | 14% | very comfortable |
| Macomb, IL | $817/mo | 15% | very comfortable |
| Danville, IL | $883/mo | 16.2% | very comfortable |
| East Peoria, IL | $885/mo | 16.2% | very comfortable |
| Pekin, IL | $901/mo | 16.5% | very comfortable |
| East Alton, IL | $900/mo | 16.5% | very comfortable |
| Rantoul, IL | $921/mo | 16.9% | very comfortable |
| Rock Island, IL | $932/mo | 17.1% | very comfortable |
| Herrin, IL | $938/mo | 17.2% | very comfortable |
| Washington, IL | $988/mo | 18.1% | very comfortable |
| Alton, IL | $1,003/mo | 18.4% | very comfortable |
| Granite City, IL | $1,046/mo | 19.2% | very comfortable |
| Decatur, IL | $1,057/mo | 19.4% | very comfortable |
| Quincy, IL | $1,059/mo | 19.4% | very comfortable |
| La Salle, IL | $1,075/mo | 19.7% | very comfortable |
| Bethalto, IL | $1,083/mo | 19.9% | very comfortable |
| Moline, IL | $1,090/mo | 20% | very comfortable |
| Marion, IL | $1,113/mo | 20.4% | affordable |
| Dixon, IL | $1,113/mo | 20.4% | affordable |
| Belleville, IL | $1,120/mo | 20.5% | affordable |
| Peoria Heights, IL | $1,150/mo | 21.1% | affordable |
| Wood River, IL | $1,156/mo | 21.2% | affordable |
| Collinsville, IL | $1,161/mo | 21.3% | affordable |
| Springfield, IL | $1,178/mo | 21.6% | affordable |
| Highland, IL | $1,200/mo | 22% | affordable |
| Pontoon Beach, IL | $1,200/mo | 22% | affordable |
| Kankakee, IL | $1,204/mo | 22.1% | affordable |
| Rockford, IL | $1,227/mo | 22.5% | affordable |
| Riverdale, IL | $1,233/mo | 22.6% | affordable |
| Peoria, IL | $1,240/mo | 22.7% | affordable |
| Ottawa, IL | $1,238/mo | 22.7% | affordable |
| Bloomington, IL | $1,270/mo | 23.3% | affordable |
| Fairview Heights, IL | $1,287/mo | 23.6% | affordable |
| Shiloh, IL | $1,293/mo | 23.7% | affordable |
| Cicero, IL | $1,322/mo | 24.2% | affordable |
| Dekalb, IL | $1,320/mo | 24.2% | affordable |
| Troy, IL | $1,317/mo | 24.2% | affordable |
| Broadview, IL | $1,325/mo | 24.3% | affordable |
| Urbana, IL | $1,348/mo | 24.7% | affordable |
| Waterloo, IL | $1,350/mo | 24.8% | affordable |
| Cahokia, IL | $1,375/mo | 25.2% | affordable |
| Bourbonnais, IL | $1,381/mo | 25.3% | affordable |
| Normal, IL | $1,390/mo | 25.5% | affordable |
| Zion, IL | $1,396/mo | 25.6% | affordable |
| Savoy, IL | $1,409/mo | 25.8% | affordable |
| Maywood, IL | $1,419/mo | 26% | affordable |
| Blue Island, IL | $1,420/mo | 26% | affordable |
| Chicago Heights, IL | $1,463/mo | 26.8% | affordable |
| Champaign, IL | $1,466/mo | 26.9% | affordable |
| Woodstock, IL | $1,474/mo | 27% | affordable |
| Berwyn, IL | $1,485/mo | 27.2% | affordable |
| Swansea, IL | $1,483/mo | 27.2% | affordable |
| Midlothian, IL | $1,492/mo | 27.4% | affordable |
| Bridgeview, IL | $1,500/mo | 27.5% | affordable |
| Morton, IL | $1,500/mo | 27.5% | affordable |
| Bradley, IL | $1,500/mo | 27.5% | affordable |
| Worth, IL | $1,515/mo | 27.8% | affordable |
| Forest Park, IL | $1,527/mo | 28% | affordable |
| Alsip, IL | $1,533/mo | 28.1% | affordable |
| Calumet City, IL | $1,536/mo | 28.2% | affordable |
| Chicago Ridge, IL | $1,544/mo | 28.3% | affordable |
| Edwardsville, IL | $1,588/mo | 29.1% | affordable |
| Chatham, IL | $1,604/mo | 29.4% | affordable |
| Machesney Park, IL | $1,610/mo | 29.5% | affordable |
| O Fallon, IL | $1,631/mo | 29.9% | affordable |
| Woodridge, IL | $1,638/mo | 30% | stretched |
| Lansing, IL | $1,637/mo | 30% | stretched |
| Waukegan, IL | $1,660/mo | 30.4% | stretched |
| La Grange Park, IL | $1,670/mo | 30.6% | stretched |
| Joliet, IL | $1,675/mo | 30.7% | stretched |
| Oak Lawn, IL | $1,717/mo | 31.5% | stretched |
| Richton Park, IL | $1,722/mo | 31.6% | stretched |
| Evergreen Park, IL | $1,744/mo | 32% | stretched |
| Batavia, IL | $1,774/mo | 32.5% | stretched |
| Mahomet, IL | $1,789/mo | 32.8% | stretched |
| Franklin Park, IL | $1,800/mo | 33% | stretched |
| Elmwood Park, IL | $1,811/mo | 33.2% | stretched |
| Sycamore, IL | $1,811/mo | 33.2% | stretched |
| Elk Grove Village, IL | $1,833/mo | 33.6% | stretched |
| Mount Prospect, IL | $1,835/mo | 33.7% | stretched |
| Carol Stream, IL | $1,844/mo | 33.8% | stretched |
| Addison, IL | $1,854/mo | 34% | stretched |
| Park Forest, IL | $1,857/mo | 34.1% | stretched |
| Westmont, IL | $1,871/mo | 34.3% | stretched |
| Bensenville, IL | $1,871/mo | 34.3% | stretched |
| Palatine, IL | $1,895/mo | 34.8% | stretched |
| McHenry, IL | $1,901/mo | 34.9% | stretched |
| Glendale Heights, IL | $1,920/mo | 35.2% | stretched |
| Lisle, IL | $1,919/mo | 35.2% | stretched |
| Elgin, IL | $1,923/mo | 35.3% | stretched |
| Gurnee, IL | $1,944/mo | 35.7% | stretched |
| Saint Charles, IL | $1,956/mo | 35.9% | stretched |
| Crystal Lake, IL | $1,969/mo | 36.1% | stretched |
| Homewood, IL | $1,969/mo | 36.1% | stretched |
| Arlington Heights, IL | $1,999/mo | 36.7% | stretched |
| Geneva, IL | $2,002/mo | 36.7% | stretched |
| Wheeling, IL | $2,009/mo | 36.8% | stretched |
| Antioch, IL | $2,011/mo | 36.9% | stretched |
| Hoffman Estates, IL | $2,039/mo | 37.4% | stretched |
| Oak Park, IL | $2,044/mo | 37.5% | stretched |
| Yorkville, IL | $2,058/mo | 37.7% | stretched |
| Lake Bluff, IL | $2,058/mo | 37.7% | stretched |
| Rolling Meadows, IL | $2,061/mo | 37.8% | stretched |
| Romeoville, IL | $2,073/mo | 38% | stretched |
| Des Plaines, IL | $2,079/mo | 38.1% | stretched |
| Brookfield, IL | $2,086/mo | 38.3% | stretched |
| Willowbrook, IL | $2,090/mo | 38.3% | stretched |
| Lombard, IL | $2,094/mo | 38.4% | stretched |
| Round Lake Beach, IL | $2,116/mo | 38.8% | stretched |
| Schaumburg, IL | $2,125/mo | 39% | stretched |
| Itasca, IL | $2,166/mo | 39.7% | stretched |
| Lake in the Hills, IL | $2,188/mo | 40.1% | rent-burdened |
| Matteson, IL | $2,192/mo | 40.2% | rent-burdened |
| Glen Ellyn, IL | $2,195/mo | 40.3% | rent-burdened |
| Roselle, IL | $2,211/mo | 40.5% | rent-burdened |
| Libertyville, IL | $2,206/mo | 40.5% | rent-burdened |
| Lockport, IL | $2,213/mo | 40.6% | rent-burdened |
| Naperville, IL | $2,236/mo | 41% | rent-burdened |
| Downers Grove, IL | $2,248/mo | 41.2% | rent-burdened |
| Warrenville, IL | $2,257/mo | 41.4% | rent-burdened |
| Bloomingdale, IL | $2,286/mo | 41.9% | rent-burdened |
| Aurora, IL | $2,294/mo | 42.1% | rent-burdened |
| Carpentersville, IL | $2,297/mo | 42.1% | rent-burdened |
| Chicago, IL | $2,311/mo | 42.4% | rent-burdened |
| Grayslake, IL | $2,317/mo | 42.5% | rent-burdened |
| Mundelein, IL | $2,327/mo | 42.7% | rent-burdened |
| Dolton, IL | $2,327/mo | 42.7% | rent-burdened |
| Bartlett, IL | $2,365/mo | 43.4% | rent-burdened |
| Skokie, IL | $2,371/mo | 43.5% | rent-burdened |
| Wheaton, IL | $2,375/mo | 43.6% | rent-burdened |
| Niles, IL | $2,383/mo | 43.7% | rent-burdened |
| Darien, IL | $2,388/mo | 43.8% | rent-burdened |
| Buffalo Grove, IL | $2,403/mo | 44.1% | rent-burdened |
| Montgomery, IL | $2,403/mo | 44.1% | rent-burdened |
| Highwood, IL | $2,418/mo | 44.3% | rent-burdened |
| West Dundee, IL | $2,419/mo | 44.4% | rent-burdened |
| Park Ridge, IL | $2,433/mo | 44.6% | rent-burdened |
| Evanston, IL | $2,438/mo | 44.7% | rent-burdened |
| La Grange, IL | $2,438/mo | 44.7% | rent-burdened |
| North Aurora, IL | $2,442/mo | 44.8% | rent-burdened |
| Oswego, IL | $2,447/mo | 44.9% | rent-burdened |
| Elmhurst, IL | $2,453/mo | 45% | rent-burdened |
| Streamwood, IL | $2,490/mo | 45.7% | rent-burdened |
| Morton Grove, IL | $2,532/mo | 46.4% | rent-burdened |
| Round Lake, IL | $2,533/mo | 46.5% | rent-burdened |
| Vernon Hills, IL | $2,587/mo | 47.4% | rent-burdened |
| Glenview, IL | $2,601/mo | 47.7% | rent-burdened |
| Barrington, IL | $2,666/mo | 48.9% | rent-burdened |
| Orland Park, IL | $2,713/mo | 49.8% | rent-burdened |
| Hazel Crest, IL | $2,725/mo | 50% | rent-burdened |
| Bolingbrook, IL | $2,742/mo | 50.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Deerfield, IL | $2,789/mo | 51.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Northbrook, IL | $3,014/mo | 55.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Plainfield, IL | $3,027/mo | 55.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Highland Park, IL | $3,147/mo | 57.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Wilmette, IL | $3,794/mo | 69.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lake Forest, IL | $3,952/mo | 72.5% | severely rent-burdened |