Can A Registered Nurse Afford Rent in Waterloo, IL?
Comfortably affordable — rent takes 16.8% of gross income.
Waterloo rent: January 2026. Salary: BLS OEWS May 2024 (Illinois state estimate).
About rent and a registered nurse salary
Rent is the single largest fixed cost most renters carry, and the rent-to-income ratio is the simplest measure of whether a city is livable on a given salary. For renters earning a typical registered-nurse income, the 30% rule supports about $2,360 a month in rent. That margin covers comfortable one-bedroom rent in the vast majority of US metros but tightens significantly in the highest-rent coastal cities, where rent can claim 40% or more of an RN paycheck. The per-city pages below show the local rent, the local nurse-pay estimate, and where that combination sits on the affordability scale.
Cheaper rent nearby
These Illinois cities have lower median rent than Waterloo, which improves the affordability math on a registered nurse salary:
Compare with full rent data for Waterloo
View full rent data for Waterloo, IL →Frequently asked questions
Can a registered nurse afford rent in Waterloo, IL?
Median rent in Waterloo is $1,350 a month. A typical registered nurse in Illinois earns about $96,370 a year, which makes that rent 16.8% of gross monthly income. Under the 30% rule, the answer is yes.
How much rent can a registered nurse afford in Waterloo?
Using the 30% rule, a registered nurse salary in Illinois (~$96,370/yr) supports up to $2,409 a month in rent. Waterloo's current median rent is $1,350/mo, which leaves a $1,059/mo buffer.
How many hours does a registered nurse work to cover rent in Waterloo?
At an hourly equivalent of about $46 an hour, a registered nurse in Illinois works roughly 29.1 hours a month to cover Waterloo's median rent of $1,350.
Where is rent cheaper than Waterloo for a registered nurse?
Nearby Illinois cities with lower median rent include Swansea ($1,349/mo), Champaign ($1,348/mo), Cicero ($1,345/mo). Each shifts the affordability math materially on a registered nurse salary.