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 | $699/mo | 22.5% | affordable |
| Charleston, IL | $732/mo | 23.6% | affordable |
| Macomb, IL | $786/mo | 25.3% | affordable |
| East Alton, IL | $850/mo | 27.4% | affordable |
| Rantoul, IL | $853/mo | 27.5% | affordable |
| Danville, IL | $866/mo | 27.9% | affordable |
| Rock Island, IL | $911/mo | 29.3% | affordable |
| Pekin, IL | $926/mo | 29.8% | affordable |
| Herrin, IL | $938/mo | 30.2% | stretched |
| Alton, IL | $977/mo | 31.5% | stretched |
| Decatur, IL | $995/mo | 32% | stretched |
| East Peoria, IL | $1,000/mo | 32.2% | stretched |
| Granite City, IL | $1,011/mo | 32.6% | stretched |
| Moline, IL | $1,065/mo | 34.3% | stretched |
| Marion, IL | $1,065/mo | 34.3% | stretched |
| La Salle, IL | $1,075/mo | 34.6% | stretched |
| Belleville, IL | $1,078/mo | 34.7% | stretched |
| Wood River, IL | $1,081/mo | 34.8% | stretched |
| Dixon, IL | $1,091/mo | 35.1% | stretched |
| Bethalto, IL | $1,097/mo | 35.3% | stretched |
| Springfield, IL | $1,151/mo | 37.1% | stretched |
| Highland, IL | $1,200/mo | 38.6% | stretched |
| Pontoon Beach, IL | $1,200/mo | 38.6% | stretched |
| Collinsville, IL | $1,203/mo | 38.7% | stretched |
| Rockford, IL | $1,204/mo | 38.8% | stretched |
| Peoria Heights, IL | $1,206/mo | 38.8% | stretched |
| Riverdale, IL | $1,223/mo | 39.4% | stretched |
| Peoria, IL | $1,239/mo | 39.9% | stretched |
| Kankakee, IL | $1,249/mo | 40.2% | rent-burdened |
| Urbana, IL | $1,253/mo | 40.4% | rent-burdened |
| Normal, IL | $1,267/mo | 40.8% | rent-burdened |
| Quincy, IL | $1,272/mo | 41% | rent-burdened |
| Ottawa, IL | $1,287/mo | 41.4% | rent-burdened |
| Cicero, IL | $1,314/mo | 42.3% | rent-burdened |
| Troy, IL | $1,317/mo | 42.4% | rent-burdened |
| Washington, IL | $1,324/mo | 42.6% | rent-burdened |
| Blue Island, IL | $1,336/mo | 43% | rent-burdened |
| Broadview, IL | $1,345/mo | 43.3% | rent-burdened |
| Waterloo, IL | $1,350/mo | 43.5% | rent-burdened |
| Bloomington, IL | $1,363/mo | 43.9% | rent-burdened |
| Cahokia, IL | $1,375/mo | 44.3% | rent-burdened |
| Dekalb, IL | $1,394/mo | 44.9% | rent-burdened |
| Fairview Heights, IL | $1,412/mo | 45.5% | rent-burdened |
| Woodstock, IL | $1,415/mo | 45.6% | rent-burdened |
| Berwyn, IL | $1,424/mo | 45.9% | rent-burdened |
| Sycamore, IL | $1,435/mo | 46.2% | rent-burdened |
| Shiloh, IL | $1,453/mo | 46.8% | rent-burdened |
| Champaign, IL | $1,465/mo | 47.2% | rent-burdened |
| Machesney Park, IL | $1,469/mo | 47.3% | rent-burdened |
| Chicago Heights, IL | $1,498/mo | 48.2% | rent-burdened |
| Edwardsville, IL | $1,505/mo | 48.5% | rent-burdened |
| Zion, IL | $1,507/mo | 48.5% | rent-burdened |
| Swansea, IL | $1,507/mo | 48.5% | rent-burdened |
| Savoy, IL | $1,505/mo | 48.5% | rent-burdened |
| Worth, IL | $1,508/mo | 48.6% | rent-burdened |
| Maywood, IL | $1,519/mo | 48.9% | rent-burdened |
| Chicago Ridge, IL | $1,518/mo | 48.9% | rent-burdened |
| Bridgeview, IL | $1,532/mo | 49.3% | rent-burdened |
| Bradley, IL | $1,544/mo | 49.7% | rent-burdened |
| Bourbonnais, IL | $1,550/mo | 49.9% | rent-burdened |
| Midlothian, IL | $1,550/mo | 49.9% | rent-burdened |
| Calumet City, IL | $1,577/mo | 50.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Forest Park, IL | $1,592/mo | 51.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Elmwood Park, IL | $1,602/mo | 51.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Alsip, IL | $1,605/mo | 51.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Joliet, IL | $1,621/mo | 52.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| O Fallon, IL | $1,648/mo | 53.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lansing, IL | $1,665/mo | 53.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Waukegan, IL | $1,678/mo | 54% | severely rent-burdened |
| Franklin Park, IL | $1,700/mo | 54.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Chatham, IL | $1,704/mo | 54.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Woodridge, IL | $1,725/mo | 55.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| La Grange Park, IL | $1,728/mo | 55.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Mount Prospect, IL | $1,756/mo | 56.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Elk Grove Village, IL | $1,758/mo | 56.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Batavia, IL | $1,774/mo | 57.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Mahomet, IL | $1,781/mo | 57.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Morton, IL | $1,799/mo | 57.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Oak Lawn, IL | $1,808/mo | 58.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Park Forest, IL | $1,806/mo | 58.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Carol Stream, IL | $1,834/mo | 59.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Bensenville, IL | $1,851/mo | 59.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Brookfield, IL | $1,864/mo | 60% | severely rent-burdened |
| Elgin, IL | $1,925/mo | 62% | severely rent-burdened |
| Saint Charles, IL | $1,928/mo | 62.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Gurnee, IL | $1,944/mo | 62.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Glendale Heights, IL | $1,948/mo | 62.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Addison, IL | $1,951/mo | 62.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Arlington Heights, IL | $1,959/mo | 63.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Palatine, IL | $1,977/mo | 63.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lisle, IL | $1,981/mo | 63.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Westmont, IL | $1,988/mo | 64% | severely rent-burdened |
| Rolling Meadows, IL | $1,989/mo | 64.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Homewood, IL | $1,991/mo | 64.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| McHenry, IL | $1,997/mo | 64.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Willowbrook, IL | $2,003/mo | 64.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Crystal Lake, IL | $2,039/mo | 65.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Hoffman Estates, IL | $2,063/mo | 66.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Evergreen Park, IL | $2,081/mo | 67% | severely rent-burdened |
| Oak Park, IL | $2,086/mo | 67.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lombard, IL | $2,088/mo | 67.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Wheeling, IL | $2,103/mo | 67.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Des Plaines, IL | $2,108/mo | 67.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Schaumburg, IL | $2,119/mo | 68.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Romeoville, IL | $2,124/mo | 68.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Skokie, IL | $2,132/mo | 68.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lockport, IL | $2,132/mo | 68.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lake Bluff, IL | $2,133/mo | 68.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Geneva, IL | $2,150/mo | 69.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Darien, IL | $2,171/mo | 69.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Wheaton, IL | $2,174/mo | 70% | severely rent-burdened |
| Glen Ellyn, IL | $2,173/mo | 70% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lake in the Hills, IL | $2,183/mo | 70.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Montgomery, IL | $2,188/mo | 70.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Antioch, IL | $2,193/mo | 70.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Round Lake Beach, IL | $2,230/mo | 71.8% | severely rent-burdened |
| Yorkville, IL | $2,232/mo | 71.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Richton Park, IL | $2,241/mo | 72.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| North Aurora, IL | $2,244/mo | 72.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| West Dundee, IL | $2,249/mo | 72.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Downers Grove, IL | $2,286/mo | 73.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Aurora, IL | $2,289/mo | 73.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Dolton, IL | $2,287/mo | 73.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Naperville, IL | $2,298/mo | 74% | severely rent-burdened |
| Warrenville, IL | $2,299/mo | 74% | severely rent-burdened |
| Niles, IL | $2,329/mo | 75% | severely rent-burdened |
| Highwood, IL | $2,333/mo | 75.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Carpentersville, IL | $2,357/mo | 75.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Mundelein, IL | $2,372/mo | 76.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Round Lake, IL | $2,375/mo | 76.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| La Grange, IL | $2,374/mo | 76.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Oswego, IL | $2,380/mo | 76.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Itasca, IL | $2,381/mo | 76.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Chicago, IL | $2,395/mo | 77.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Buffalo Grove, IL | $2,413/mo | 77.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Vernon Hills, IL | $2,420/mo | 77.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Grayslake, IL | $2,428/mo | 78.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Roselle, IL | $2,437/mo | 78.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Barrington, IL | $2,452/mo | 79% | severely rent-burdened |
| Bartlett, IL | $2,456/mo | 79.1% | severely rent-burdened |
| Elmhurst, IL | $2,468/mo | 79.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Bloomingdale, IL | $2,481/mo | 79.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Glenview, IL | $2,492/mo | 80.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Streamwood, IL | $2,492/mo | 80.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Morton Grove, IL | $2,497/mo | 80.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Hazel Crest, IL | $2,503/mo | 80.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Deerfield, IL | $2,529/mo | 81.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Evanston, IL | $2,552/mo | 82.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Libertyville, IL | $2,593/mo | 83.5% | severely rent-burdened |
| Park Ridge, IL | $2,613/mo | 84.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Matteson, IL | $2,621/mo | 84.4% | severely rent-burdened |
| Bolingbrook, IL | $2,759/mo | 88.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Orland Park, IL | $2,957/mo | 95.2% | severely rent-burdened |
| Plainfield, IL | $2,970/mo | 95.6% | severely rent-burdened |
| Northbrook, IL | $3,020/mo | 97.3% | severely rent-burdened |
| Highland Park, IL | $3,034/mo | 97.7% | severely rent-burdened |
| Wilmette, IL | $3,693/mo | 118.9% | severely rent-burdened |
| Lake Forest, IL | $5,171/mo | 166.5% | severely rent-burdened |