Illinois rent guide
The Cheapest Cities to Rent in Illinois (June 2026)
Data as of Jun 9, 2026 · 716 rentals across 75 Illinois cities
Illinois is really two rental markets. There is Chicago and its ring (the city, the North Shore towns like Evanston and Highland Park, and the collar suburbs), which is the expensive part, and then there is downstate, which is some of the best value in the Midwest. The deep deals are in the college towns (DeKalb, Champaign-Urbana) and the mid-size cities (Rockford, Peoria, Springfield). We track every apartment we can find and rank the cities below by their typical rent, straight from live listings.
The lowest typical rent right now is in DeKalb (about $815/mo), while Evanston sits at the top ($2,295/mo). For most renters the big call is Chicagoland vs downstate; the bedroom count you need takes it from there.
Illinois cities by typical rent, cheapest first
| # | City | Typical | From | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DeKalb | $815 | $800 | 6 |
| 2 | Rockford | $875 | $825 | 5 |
| 3 | Peoria | $971 | $809 | 18 |
| 4 | Springfield | $1,060 | $860 | 7 |
| 5 | Champaign | $1,265 | $814 | 9 |
| 6 | Elgin | $1,353 | $1,025 | 6 |
| 7 | Waukegan | $1,408 | $1,040 | 8 |
| 8 | Mount Prospect | $1,539 | $1,465 | 5 |
| 9 | Carol Stream | $1,564 | $1,075 | 8 |
| 10 | Wheeling | $1,640 | $1,500 | 5 |
| 11 | Palatine | $1,650 | $1,498 | 6 |
| 12 | Gurnee | $1,665 | $1,295 | 5 |
| 13 | Skokie | $1,690 | $1,300 | 14 |
| 14 | Wheaton | $1,695 | $1,435 | 5 |
| 15 | Aurora | $1,700 | $1,050 | 14 |
| 16 | Schaumburg | $1,744 | $1,000 | 10 |
| 17 | Naperville | $1,783 | $1,375 | 19 |
| 18 | Des Plaines | $1,800 | $1,180 | 7 |
| 19 | Downers Grove | $1,846 | $1,370 | 8 |
| 20 | Buffalo Grove | $1,865 | $1,495 | 5 |
| 21 | Lombard | $1,873 | $955 | 14 |
| 22 | Oak Park | $1,903 | $1,059 | 12 |
| 23 | Arlington Heights | $2,029 | $1,006 | 10 |
| 24 | Chicago | $2,095 | $995 | 371 |
| 25 | Highland Park | $2,200 | $1,795 | 10 |
| 26 | Crystal Lake | $2,225 | $1,590 | 7 |
| 27 | Evanston | $2,295 | $1,145 | 41 |
How we rank them
“Typical” is the median rent across everything we track in a city, so half the listings are cheaper and half pricier. “From” is the single cheapest unit listed right now. We include cities with at least five live listings and exclude single rooms and senior housing. Small-city medians can swing on a few listings, so the bigger markets are the most stable. Refreshes when our data does (last updated Jun 9, 2026).
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest city to rent in Illinois?
By typical (median) rent it's DeKalb, around $815/mo, then Rockford and Peoria. The deep value is all downstate: the college towns (DeKalb, Champaign) and the mid-size cities (Rockford, Peoria, Springfield) are a fraction of Chicago and its North Shore. The ranking rebuilds from live listings, so it moves with the market.
Where is rent most expensive in Illinois?
Evanston tops the list at about $2,295/mo. The priciest rents in the state are along Chicago's North Shore (Evanston, Highland Park), the city itself, and the affluent collar suburbs, where demand and newer housing push rents well above downstate.
Is downstate Illinois really that much cheaper than Chicago?
Yes, and it is not close. A typical apartment in DeKalb, Rockford or Peoria rents for roughly half of a comparable place in Chicago or Evanston. The college towns in particular (DeKalb for NIU, Champaign-Urbana for U of I) are some of the lowest rents we track anywhere. If your job or school is downstate, that gap is the single biggest lever on your rent.
How do I find the cheapest rent in Illinois?
Start in the value markets at the top of the table below, filter to the bedroom count you actually need, and sort by price. The single cheapest unit in a city (the "from" price) is often hundreds below the median, so the specific building matters as much as the city.
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