Rent Affordability for A Waiter or Waitress in Illinois
A typical waiter or waitress in Illinois earns about $37,261 a year, which supports approximately $932 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. 8 of 158 cities tracked stay within the 30% rule; 150 are rent-burdened on this salary.
| City↕ | Median rent↕ | % of income↑ | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carbondale, IL | $673/mo | 21.7% | affordable |
| Charleston, IL | $762/mo | 24.5% | affordable |
| Macomb, IL | $817/mo | 26.3% | affordable |
| Danville, IL | $883/mo | 28.4% | affordable |
| East Peoria, IL | $885/mo | 28.5% | affordable |
| Pekin, IL | $901/mo | 29% | affordable |
| East Alton, IL | $900/mo | 29% | affordable |
| Rantoul, IL | $921/mo | 29.7% | affordable |
| Rock Island, IL | $932/mo | 30% | stretched |
| Herrin, IL | $938/mo | 30.2% | stretched |
| Washington, IL | $988/mo | 31.8% | stretched |
| Alton, IL | $1,003/mo | 32.3% | stretched |
| Granite City, IL | $1,046/mo | 33.7% | stretched |
| Decatur, IL | $1,057/mo | 34% | stretched |
| Quincy, IL | $1,059/mo | 34.1% | stretched |
| La Salle, IL | $1,075/mo | 34.6% | stretched |
| Bethalto, IL | $1,083/mo | 34.9% | stretched |
| Moline, IL | $1,090/mo | 35.1% | stretched |
| Marion, IL | $1,113/mo | 35.8% | stretched |
| Dixon, IL | $1,113/mo | 35.8% | stretched |
| Belleville, IL | $1,120/mo | 36.1% | stretched |
| Peoria Heights, IL | $1,150/mo | 37% | stretched |
| Wood River, IL | $1,156/mo | 37.2% | stretched |
| Collinsville, IL | $1,161/mo | 37.4% | stretched |
| Springfield, IL | $1,178/mo | 37.9% | stretched |
| Highland, IL | $1,200/mo | 38.6% | stretched |
| Pontoon Beach, IL | $1,200/mo | 38.6% | stretched |
| Kankakee, IL | $1,204/mo | 38.8% | stretched |
| Rockford, IL | $1,227/mo | 39.5% | stretched |
| Riverdale, IL | $1,233/mo | 39.7% | stretched |
| Peoria, IL | $1,240/mo | 39.9% | stretched |
| Ottawa, IL | $1,238/mo | 39.9% | stretched |
| Bloomington, IL | $1,270/mo | 40.9% | rent-burdened |
| Fairview Heights, IL | $1,287/mo | 41.4% | rent-burdened |
| Shiloh, IL | $1,293/mo | 41.6% | rent-burdened |
| Troy, IL | $1,317/mo | 42.4% | rent-burdened |
| Dekalb, IL | $1,320/mo | 42.5% | rent-burdened |
| Cicero, IL | $1,322/mo | 42.6% | rent-burdened |
| Broadview, IL | $1,325/mo | 42.7% | rent-burdened |
| Urbana, IL | $1,348/mo | 43.4% | rent-burdened |
| Waterloo, IL | $1,350/mo | 43.5% | rent-burdened |
| Cahokia, IL | $1,375/mo | 44.3% | rent-burdened |
| Bourbonnais, IL | $1,381/mo | 44.5% | rent-burdened |
| Normal, IL | $1,390/mo | 44.8% | rent-burdened |
| Zion, IL | $1,396/mo | 45% | rent-burdened |
| Savoy, IL | $1,409/mo | 45.4% | rent-burdened |
| Maywood, IL | $1,419/mo | 45.7% | rent-burdened |
| Blue Island, IL | $1,420/mo | 45.7% | rent-burdened |
| Chicago Heights, IL | $1,463/mo | 47.1% | rent-burdened |
| Champaign, IL | $1,466/mo | 47.2% | rent-burdened |
| Woodstock, IL | $1,474/mo | 47.5% | rent-burdened |
| Berwyn, IL | $1,485/mo | 47.8% | rent-burdened |
| Swansea, IL | $1,483/mo | 47.8% | rent-burdened |
| Midlothian, IL | $1,492/mo | 48.1% | rent-burdened |
| Bridgeview, IL | $1,500/mo | 48.3% | rent-burdened |
| Morton, IL | $1,500/mo | 48.3% | rent-burdened |
| Bradley, IL | $1,500/mo | 48.3% | rent-burdened |
| Worth, IL | $1,515/mo | 48.8% | rent-burdened |
| Forest Park, IL | $1,527/mo | 49.2% | rent-burdened |
| Alsip, IL | $1,533/mo | 49.4% | rent-burdened |
| Calumet City, IL | $1,536/mo | 49.5% | rent-burdened |
| Chicago Ridge, IL | $1,544/mo | 49.7% | rent-burdened |
| Edwardsville, IL | $1,588/mo | 51.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Chatham, IL | $1,604/mo | 51.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Machesney Park, IL | $1,610/mo | 51.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| O Fallon, IL | $1,631/mo | 52.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lansing, IL | $1,637/mo | 52.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Woodridge, IL | $1,638/mo | 52.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Waukegan, IL | $1,660/mo | 53.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| La Grange Park, IL | $1,670/mo | 53.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Joliet, IL | $1,675/mo | 53.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Oak Lawn, IL | $1,717/mo | 55.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Richton Park, IL | $1,722/mo | 55.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Evergreen Park, IL | $1,744/mo | 56.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Batavia, IL | $1,774/mo | 57.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Mahomet, IL | $1,789/mo | 57.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Franklin Park, IL | $1,800/mo | 58% | severely rent-burdened |
| Elmwood Park, IL | $1,811/mo | 58.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Sycamore, IL | $1,811/mo | 58.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Elk Grove Village, IL | $1,833/mo | 59% | severely rent-burdened |
| Mount Prospect, IL | $1,835/mo | 59.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Carol Stream, IL | $1,844/mo | 59.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Addison, IL | $1,854/mo | 59.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Park Forest, IL | $1,857/mo | 59.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Westmont, IL | $1,871/mo | 60.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Bensenville, IL | $1,871/mo | 60.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Palatine, IL | $1,895/mo | 61% | severely rent-burdened |
| McHenry, IL | $1,901/mo | 61.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Glendale Heights, IL | $1,920/mo | 61.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lisle, IL | $1,919/mo | 61.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Elgin, IL | $1,923/mo | 61.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Gurnee, IL | $1,944/mo | 62.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Saint Charles, IL | $1,956/mo | 63% | severely rent-burdened |
| Crystal Lake, IL | $1,969/mo | 63.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Homewood, IL | $1,969/mo | 63.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Arlington Heights, IL | $1,999/mo | 64.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Geneva, IL | $2,002/mo | 64.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Wheeling, IL | $2,009/mo | 64.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Antioch, IL | $2,011/mo | 64.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Hoffman Estates, IL | $2,039/mo | 65.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Oak Park, IL | $2,044/mo | 65.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Yorkville, IL | $2,058/mo | 66.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lake Bluff, IL | $2,058/mo | 66.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Rolling Meadows, IL | $2,061/mo | 66.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Romeoville, IL | $2,073/mo | 66.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Des Plaines, IL | $2,079/mo | 67% | severely rent-burdened |
| Brookfield, IL | $2,086/mo | 67.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Willowbrook, IL | $2,090/mo | 67.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lombard, IL | $2,094/mo | 67.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Round Lake Beach, IL | $2,116/mo | 68.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Schaumburg, IL | $2,125/mo | 68.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Itasca, IL | $2,166/mo | 69.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lake in the Hills, IL | $2,188/mo | 70.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Matteson, IL | $2,192/mo | 70.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Glen Ellyn, IL | $2,195/mo | 70.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Libertyville, IL | $2,206/mo | 71% | severely rent-burdened |
| Roselle, IL | $2,211/mo | 71.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lockport, IL | $2,213/mo | 71.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Naperville, IL | $2,236/mo | 72% | severely rent-burdened |
| Downers Grove, IL | $2,248/mo | 72.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Warrenville, IL | $2,257/mo | 72.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Bloomingdale, IL | $2,286/mo | 73.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Aurora, IL | $2,294/mo | 73.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Carpentersville, IL | $2,297/mo | 74% | severely rent-burdened |
| Chicago, IL | $2,311/mo | 74.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Grayslake, IL | $2,317/mo | 74.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Mundelein, IL | $2,327/mo | 74.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Dolton, IL | $2,327/mo | 74.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Bartlett, IL | $2,365/mo | 76.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Skokie, IL | $2,371/mo | 76.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Wheaton, IL | $2,375/mo | 76.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Niles, IL | $2,383/mo | 76.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Darien, IL | $2,388/mo | 76.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Buffalo Grove, IL | $2,403/mo | 77.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Montgomery, IL | $2,403/mo | 77.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| West Dundee, IL | $2,419/mo | 77.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Highwood, IL | $2,418/mo | 77.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Park Ridge, IL | $2,433/mo | 78.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Evanston, IL | $2,438/mo | 78.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| La Grange, IL | $2,438/mo | 78.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| North Aurora, IL | $2,442/mo | 78.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Oswego, IL | $2,447/mo | 78.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Elmhurst, IL | $2,453/mo | 79% | severely rent-burdened |
| Streamwood, IL | $2,490/mo | 80.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Morton Grove, IL | $2,532/mo | 81.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Round Lake, IL | $2,533/mo | 81.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Vernon Hills, IL | $2,587/mo | 83.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Glenview, IL | $2,601/mo | 83.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Barrington, IL | $2,666/mo | 85.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Orland Park, IL | $2,713/mo | 87.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Hazel Crest, IL | $2,725/mo | 87.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Bolingbrook, IL | $2,742/mo | 88.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Deerfield, IL | $2,789/mo | 89.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Northbrook, IL | $3,014/mo | 97.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Plainfield, IL | $3,027/mo | 97.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Highland Park, IL | $3,147/mo | 101.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Wilmette, IL | $3,794/mo | 122.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lake Forest, IL | $3,952/mo | 127.3% | severely rent-burdened |