Top 10 Most Affordable Rent in Illinois
iCities and towns ranked by rental affordability, factoring in rent cost, local wages, safety, and school quality. Ranked 284 cities with a population of 5,000 or more.
| #▴▾ | City▴▾ | Affordability Score▴▾ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North ChicagoLake | 80 / 100 |
| 2 | Lake ForestLake | 72 / 100 |
| 3 | PinckneyvillePerry | 71 / 100 |
| 4 | NormalMcLean | 68 / 100 |
| 5 | Clarendon HillsDuPage | 67 / 100 |
| 6 | LemontCook | 67 / 100 |
| 7 | East MolineRock Island | 67 / 100 |
| 8 | WinfieldDuPage | 66 / 100 |
| 9 | HighlandMadison | 66 / 100 |
| 10 | Coal CityGrundy | 66 / 100 |
Methodology
Composite score (0–100) based on: median rent inverted — lower rent scores higher (40%), average annual wage (25%), crime rate inverted — lower crime scores higher (20%), and school quality composite (15%). Each component is min-max normalized across all cities in the state.
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