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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston, IL | $730/mo | 23.5% | affordable |
| Carbondale, IL | $749/mo | 24.1% | affordable |
| Rantoul, IL | $808/mo | 26% | affordable |
| Pekin, IL | $843/mo | 27.1% | affordable |
| East Alton, IL | $850/mo | 27.4% | affordable |
| Danville, IL | $867/mo | 27.9% | affordable |
| Rock Island, IL | $918/mo | 29.6% | affordable |
| Macomb, IL | $919/mo | 29.6% | affordable |
| Alton, IL | $985/mo | 31.7% | stretched |
| Moline, IL | $998/mo | 32.1% | stretched |
| East Peoria, IL | $1,000/mo | 32.2% | stretched |
| Wood River, IL | $1,000/mo | 32.2% | stretched |
| Herrin, IL | $1,006/mo | 32.4% | stretched |
| Granite City, IL | $1,013/mo | 32.6% | stretched |
| Decatur, IL | $1,019/mo | 32.8% | stretched |
| Belleville, IL | $1,048/mo | 33.8% | stretched |
| Marion, IL | $1,071/mo | 34.5% | stretched |
| La Salle, IL | $1,075/mo | 34.6% | stretched |
| Bethalto, IL | $1,117/mo | 36% | stretched |
| Dixon, IL | $1,133/mo | 36.5% | stretched |
| Kankakee, IL | $1,160/mo | 37.4% | stretched |
| Peoria Heights, IL | $1,161/mo | 37.4% | stretched |
| Pontoon Beach, IL | $1,175/mo | 37.8% | stretched |
| Springfield, IL | $1,176/mo | 37.9% | stretched |
| Highland, IL | $1,200/mo | 38.6% | stretched |
| Rockford, IL | $1,208/mo | 38.9% | stretched |
| Cicero, IL | $1,229/mo | 39.6% | stretched |
| Riverdale, IL | $1,232/mo | 39.7% | stretched |
| Peoria, IL | $1,236/mo | 39.8% | stretched |
| Urbana, IL | $1,249/mo | 40.2% | rent-burdened |
| Quincy, IL | $1,256/mo | 40.4% | rent-burdened |
| Collinsville, IL | $1,255/mo | 40.4% | rent-burdened |
| Blue Island, IL | $1,258/mo | 40.5% | rent-burdened |
| Washington, IL | $1,324/mo | 42.6% | rent-burdened |
| Broadview, IL | $1,343/mo | 43.3% | rent-burdened |
| Waterloo, IL | $1,350/mo | 43.5% | rent-burdened |
| Bloomington, IL | $1,368/mo | 44.1% | rent-burdened |
| Dekalb, IL | $1,371/mo | 44.2% | rent-burdened |
| Midlothian, IL | $1,375/mo | 44.3% | rent-burdened |
| Cahokia, IL | $1,375/mo | 44.3% | rent-burdened |
| Fairview Heights, IL | $1,379/mo | 44.4% | rent-burdened |
| Shiloh, IL | $1,382/mo | 44.5% | rent-burdened |
| Ottawa, IL | $1,391/mo | 44.8% | rent-burdened |
| Normal, IL | $1,403/mo | 45.2% | rent-burdened |
| Champaign, IL | $1,410/mo | 45.4% | rent-burdened |
| Maywood, IL | $1,424/mo | 45.9% | rent-burdened |
| Troy, IL | $1,425/mo | 45.9% | rent-burdened |
| Worth, IL | $1,463/mo | 47.1% | rent-burdened |
| Machesney Park, IL | $1,469/mo | 47.3% | rent-burdened |
| Berwyn, IL | $1,472/mo | 47.4% | rent-burdened |
| Swansea, IL | $1,484/mo | 47.8% | rent-burdened |
| Woodstock, IL | $1,492/mo | 48.1% | rent-burdened |
| Chicago Heights, IL | $1,498/mo | 48.2% | rent-burdened |
| Bourbonnais, IL | $1,511/mo | 48.7% | rent-burdened |
| Chicago Ridge, IL | $1,519/mo | 48.9% | rent-burdened |
| Edwardsville, IL | $1,525/mo | 49.1% | rent-burdened |
| Zion, IL | $1,526/mo | 49.1% | rent-burdened |
| Bridgeview, IL | $1,532/mo | 49.3% | rent-burdened |
| Alsip, IL | $1,544/mo | 49.7% | rent-burdened |
| Sycamore, IL | $1,543/mo | 49.7% | rent-burdened |
| Bradley, IL | $1,544/mo | 49.7% | rent-burdened |
| Savoy, IL | $1,557/mo | 50.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| O Fallon, IL | $1,599/mo | 51.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Joliet, IL | $1,614/mo | 52% | severely rent-burdened |
| Forest Park, IL | $1,620/mo | 52.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Calumet City, IL | $1,629/mo | 52.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Waukegan, IL | $1,648/mo | 53.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Elmwood Park, IL | $1,671/mo | 53.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Franklin Park, IL | $1,700/mo | 54.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lansing, IL | $1,715/mo | 55.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Chatham, IL | $1,713/mo | 55.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Mount Prospect, IL | $1,718/mo | 55.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Woodridge, IL | $1,718/mo | 55.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| La Grange Park, IL | $1,751/mo | 56.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Elk Grove Village, IL | $1,781/mo | 57.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Morton, IL | $1,799/mo | 57.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Carol Stream, IL | $1,822/mo | 58.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Brookfield, IL | $1,828/mo | 58.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Oak Lawn, IL | $1,848/mo | 59.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Addison, IL | $1,853/mo | 59.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Bensenville, IL | $1,865/mo | 60.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Saint Charles, IL | $1,884/mo | 60.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| McHenry, IL | $1,893/mo | 61% | severely rent-burdened |
| Batavia, IL | $1,900/mo | 61.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Mahomet, IL | $1,906/mo | 61.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Elgin, IL | $1,909/mo | 61.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Westmont, IL | $1,928/mo | 62.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lisle, IL | $1,939/mo | 62.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Arlington Heights, IL | $1,949/mo | 62.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Glendale Heights, IL | $1,949/mo | 62.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Gurnee, IL | $1,965/mo | 63.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Park Forest, IL | $1,981/mo | 63.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Rolling Meadows, IL | $1,984/mo | 63.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Palatine, IL | $1,990/mo | 64.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Willowbrook, IL | $2,005/mo | 64.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lockport, IL | $2,029/mo | 65.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Des Plaines, IL | $2,031/mo | 65.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Hoffman Estates, IL | $2,032/mo | 65.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lake Bluff, IL | $2,068/mo | 66.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lombard, IL | $2,086/mo | 67.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Romeoville, IL | $2,089/mo | 67.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Schaumburg, IL | $2,099/mo | 67.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Wheeling, IL | $2,103/mo | 67.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Crystal Lake, IL | $2,112/mo | 68% | severely rent-burdened |
| Round Lake Beach, IL | $2,142/mo | 69% | severely rent-burdened |
| Darien, IL | $2,158/mo | 69.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Oak Park, IL | $2,160/mo | 69.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Bartlett, IL | $2,162/mo | 69.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Niles, IL | $2,160/mo | 69.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lake in the Hills, IL | $2,160/mo | 69.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Wheaton, IL | $2,169/mo | 69.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| West Dundee, IL | $2,208/mo | 71.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Geneva, IL | $2,221/mo | 71.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Itasca, IL | $2,228/mo | 71.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Richton Park, IL | $2,244/mo | 72.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Skokie, IL | $2,250/mo | 72.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Downers Grove, IL | $2,264/mo | 72.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| North Aurora, IL | $2,263/mo | 72.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Antioch, IL | $2,274/mo | 73.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Montgomery, IL | $2,276/mo | 73.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Carpentersville, IL | $2,285/mo | 73.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Aurora, IL | $2,287/mo | 73.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Naperville, IL | $2,310/mo | 74.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Highwood, IL | $2,332/mo | 75.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Dolton, IL | $2,337/mo | 75.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Round Lake, IL | $2,350/mo | 75.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Evergreen Park, IL | $2,353/mo | 75.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Mundelein, IL | $2,356/mo | 75.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Yorkville, IL | $2,372/mo | 76.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| La Grange, IL | $2,386/mo | 76.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Chicago, IL | $2,409/mo | 77.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Oswego, IL | $2,415/mo | 77.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Buffalo Grove, IL | $2,418/mo | 77.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Warrenville, IL | $2,423/mo | 78% | severely rent-burdened |
| Vernon Hills, IL | $2,436/mo | 78.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Roselle, IL | $2,447/mo | 78.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Elmhurst, IL | $2,449/mo | 78.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Grayslake, IL | $2,461/mo | 79.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Streamwood, IL | $2,475/mo | 79.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Glen Ellyn, IL | $2,480/mo | 79.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Morton Grove, IL | $2,483/mo | 80% | severely rent-burdened |
| Barrington, IL | $2,487/mo | 80.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Deerfield, IL | $2,499/mo | 80.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Hazel Crest, IL | $2,503/mo | 80.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Glenview, IL | $2,520/mo | 81.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Homewood, IL | $2,524/mo | 81.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Bloomingdale, IL | $2,538/mo | 81.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Evanston, IL | $2,562/mo | 82.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Park Ridge, IL | $2,598/mo | 83.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Matteson, IL | $2,621/mo | 84.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Bolingbrook, IL | $2,693/mo | 86.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Libertyville, IL | $2,776/mo | 89.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Plainfield, IL | $2,898/mo | 93.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Highland Park, IL | $2,980/mo | 96% | severely rent-burdened |
| Orland Park, IL | $3,018/mo | 97.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Northbrook, IL | $3,067/mo | 98.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Wilmette, IL | $3,703/mo | 119.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lake Forest, IL | $5,171/mo | 166.5% | severely rent-burdened |