Midwest ranking
15 Illinois cities ranked by cost of living, cheapest first.
Index 71
Index 141
Sorted by cost-of-living index — lowest (most affordable) first.
| # | City | Cost index | Median rent | Median income | Population | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rockford | 71 | $906/mo | $50,744 | 148K | Compare → |
| 2 | Springfield | 72 | $913/mo | $62,419 | 114K | Compare → |
| 3 | Peoria | 72 | $917/mo | $58,068 | 113K | Compare → |
| 4 | Bloomington | 76 | $959/mo | $73,119 | 79K | Compare → |
| 5 | Champaign | 83 | $1,056/mo | $58,273 | 89K | Compare → |
| 6 | Cicero | 86 | $1,094/mo | $64,325 | 84K | Compare → |
| 7 | Waukegan | 89 | $1,132/mo | $66,077 | 89K | Compare → |
| 8 | Joliet | 93 | $1,174/mo | $84,971 | 150K | Compare → |
| 9 | Elgin | 94 | $1,190/mo | $85,998 | 114K | Compare → |
| 10 | Chicago | 104 | $1,314/mo | $71,673 | 2.7M | Compare → |
| 11 | Aurora | 115 | $1,462/mo | $85,943 | 181K | Compare → |
| 12 | Evanston | 128 | $1,625/mo | $93,188 | 77K | Compare → |
| 13 | Arlington Heights | 131 | $1,660/mo | $113,502 | 77K | Compare → |
| 14 | Schaumburg | 132 | $1,680/mo | $92,818 | 78K | Compare → |
| 15 | Naperville | 141 | $1,787/mo | $143,754 | 149K | Compare → |
Across Illinois, Rockford is the most affordable city we track (cost index 71, with median rent around $906/mo), while Naperville sits at the top of the range with an index of 141—roughly 97% pricier than Rockford. Use the table above to compare any Illinois city directly against Rockford.
The other end of the ranking — priciest first.