Cost of Living in Illinois
What it costs to live in Illinois, how much tax you'll pay, and what common jobs keep after rent and everyday costs.
- Population
- 12,710,158
- Median household income
- $83,211
- State income tax
- Flat 5%
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 100.0
What a typical paycheck keeps in Illinois
The typical Illinois worker earns $51,960 (BLS). After taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, $5,736 is left. Pick a city for local rents and pay.
- Typical salary
- $51,960
- Federal income tax
- −$4,055
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,975
- State income tax
- −$2,427
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$17,868
- Everyday costs
- −$17,899
a year, or $478 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS statewide median. Rent: HUD FY2027, population-weighted across Illinois.
Cost of living in Illinois
Prices across Illinois run about the same as the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Housing6% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)4% above the US average
- Utilities15% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)About the same as the US average
- All itemsAbout the same as the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,489 | $17,868 |
| Food | $513 | $6,156 |
| Transportation | $405 | $4,860 |
| Healthcare | $353 | $4,236 |
| Utilities | $221 | $2,652 |
| Total before taxes | $2,981 | $35,772 |
Rent is the statewide average of county fair market rents, weighted by population. City rents differ.
Illinois taxes
State income tax, single filer (2026)
| Taxable income over | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 | 5% |
Taxes on the median household income
$83,211 of wages, one single filer (Census 2024 median).
| Federal income tax | −$9,476 |
| Payroll taxes | −$6,366 |
| State income tax | −$3,974 |
| Effective tax rate | 23.8% |
Cities in Illinois
What a typical worker keeps after taxes, rent and everyday costs in each Illinois city we cover.
What common jobs keep in Illinois
The 15 jobs that keep the most: statewide median pay, and what's left after taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer | $160,800 | $77,591 |
| Dentist | $156,110 | $74,618 |
| Pharmacist | $139,080 | $63,820 |
| Veterinarian | $133,580 | $60,334 |
| Software engineer | $132,110 | $59,402 |
| Physician assistant | $131,950 | $59,300 |
| Nurse practitioner | $130,680 | $58,495 |
| Lineman | $108,120 | $43,919 |
| Data scientist | $106,560 | $42,898 |
| Physical therapist | $105,250 | $42,041 |
| Project manager | $103,470 | $40,878 |
| Mechanical engineer | $102,680 | $40,360 |
| Financial analyst | $101,180 | $39,379 |
| Police officer | $100,520 | $38,948 |
| Plumber | $99,950 | $38,575 |
Salary pages in Illinois, A–Z
Pay range, what’s kept and the best cities for each job.
- Accountant
- Auto mechanic
- Carpenter
- Civil engineer
- Data scientist
- Dental assistant
- Dental hygienist
- Dentist
- Diesel mechanic
- Electrician
- Financial analyst
- Firefighter
- HVAC technician
- Lawyer
- Licensed practical nurse
- Lineman
- Mechanical engineer
- Medical assistant
- Nurse practitioner
- Nursing assistant
- Occupational therapist
- Paralegal
- Paramedic
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacy technician
- Physical therapist
- Physician assistant
- Plumber
- Police officer
- Project manager
- Radiologic technologist
- Registered nurse
- Respiratory therapist
- Social worker
- Software engineer
- Speech-language pathologist
- Teacher
- Truck driver
- Veterinarian
- Welder
Top-paying jobs in Illinois
Median pay, jobs with at least 1,000 workers (BLS OEWS). Linked jobs have a salary page.
| Job | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $331,920 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $293,490 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $286,830 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $245,120 |
| Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $208,000 |
| Pediatricians, General | $196,760 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $171,730 |
| Financial Managers | $165,880 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $163,610 |
| Marketing Managers | $162,860 |
| Lawyers | $160,800 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $159,670 |
| Dentists, General | $156,110 |
| Sales Managers | $155,280 |
| Purchasing Managers | $153,370 |
Living in Illinois
Illinois against the US (Census Bureau, ACS 2024).
| Measure | Illinois | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $280,700 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,322 | $1,487 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 11.6% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 39.2% | 36.9% |
| Average commute, one way | 28.3 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 13.6% | 13.3% |
Nearby states
Compare Illinois with another state or city: what a job keeps in each, side by side.
Questions people ask
What is the cost of living in Illinois?
Prices in Illinois are about the same as the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). The statewide fair market rent for a 1-bedroom is $1,489 a month (HUD, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person come to about $1,492 a month.
Does Illinois have a state income tax?
Yes. Illinois's income tax rate is flat 5%. On a typical wage of $51,960, a single filer pays about $2,427 a year in state income tax.
How much do you need to earn to live in Illinois?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom at the statewide fair market rent needs about $44,400 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs. The typical worker in Illinois earns $51,960 and keeps $5,736 after those costs.
Where in Illinois does a paycheck go furthest?
Of the Illinois cities we cover, a typical worker keeps the most in Springfield ($13,026 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs) and the least in Chicago ($3,078).
What jobs pay the most in Illinois?
Among jobs with at least 1,000 workers, the highest median pay in Illinois goes to Chief Executives ($331,920); Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers ($293,490); Nurse Anesthetists ($286,830) (BLS OEWS).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate