Ranked from official statistics; every city opens its own guide.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Among the 100 largest places in Illinois, New Lenox has the lowest share of income going to rent (12.2%), followed by Glen Ellyn and Wilmette. Click any column to sort; click a city for its guide.
Across the 100 places in Illinois that we cover, the median is 18.6% and the average 19.0%; the figure runs from 12.2% (New Lenox) to 28.4% (North Chicago). That is a spread of 2.3 times between the two ends.
The first five are New Lenox, Glen Ellyn, Wilmette, Park Ridge, Batavia. A high or low position is not good or bad on its own: read it together with the other measures on the city pages. Use the Compare tab on each city page to see how two places differ across income, rent, commute and education, and check the county page for the local job market.
| # ⇅ | City ⇅ | County ⇅ | Yearly rent as share of income ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Lenox | Will County | 12.2% | 28,006 | $140,865 | $1,431 |
| 2 | Glen Ellyn | DuPage County | 12.2% | 28,390 | $140,938 | $1,433 |
| 3 | Wilmette | Cook County | 12.4% | 27,503 | $190,662 | $1,978 |
| 4 | Park Ridge | Cook County | 12.9% | 38,667 | $142,986 | $1,537 |
| 5 | Batavia | Kane County | 13.5% | 27,151 | $120,056 | $1,347 |
| 6 | Highland Park | Lake County | 13.7% | 30,398 | $168,094 | $1,925 |
| 7 | Naperville | DuPage County | 14.6% | 150,692 | $155,105 | $1,885 |
| 8 | O'Fallon | Saint Clair County | 15.1% | 32,262 | $105,982 | $1,332 |
| 9 | Algonquin | McHenry County | 15.4% | 30,067 | $134,525 | $1,723 |
| 10 | South Elgin | Kane County | 15.5% | 24,217 | $127,203 | $1,640 |
| 11 | Elmhurst | DuPage County | 15.8% | 45,671 | $149,644 | $1,975 |
| 12 | Moline | Rock Island County | 16.0% | 42,197 | $67,701 | $900 |
| 13 | Pekin | Tazewell County | 16.2% | 31,781 | $60,790 | $819 |
| 14 | Crystal Lake | McHenry County | 16.2% | 40,579 | $108,418 | $1,468 |
| 15 | Bloomington | McLean County | 16.3% | 78,907 | $77,384 | $1,050 |
| 16 | Homer Glen | Will County | 16.3% | 24,529 | $136,678 | $1,861 |
| 17 | Lockport | Will County | 16.3% | 26,409 | $111,981 | $1,525 |
| 18 | Addison | DuPage County | 16.5% | 35,489 | $90,431 | $1,245 |
| 19 | Gurnee | Lake County | 16.6% | 30,510 | $119,628 | $1,655 |
| 20 | Joliet | Will County | 16.6% | 150,445 | $92,201 | $1,276 |
| 21 | Granite City | Madison County | 16.9% | 26,549 | $59,205 | $834 |
| 22 | Bartlett | DuPage County | 17.0% | 40,501 | $133,240 | $1,883 |
| 23 | Tinley Park | Cook County | 17.1% | 54,842 | $105,189 | $1,495 |
| 24 | Rock Island | Rock Island County | 17.1% | 36,151 | $59,041 | $842 |
| 25 | Oak Park | Cook County | 17.2% | 53,292 | $110,820 | $1,593 |
| 26 | Downers Grove | DuPage County | 17.3% | 50,054 | $115,114 | $1,656 |
| 27 | Lake in the Hills | McHenry County | 17.3% | 28,800 | $117,151 | $1,689 |
| 28 | Oak Forest | Cook County | 17.3% | 26,805 | $91,990 | $1,328 |
| 29 | Mundelein | Lake County | 17.3% | 31,915 | $108,340 | $1,566 |
| 30 | Elmwood Park | Cook County | 17.4% | 23,868 | $91,955 | $1,334 |
| 31 | Orland Park | Cook County | 17.5% | 57,916 | $98,910 | $1,440 |
| 32 | Woodstock | McHenry County | 17.6% | 26,147 | $82,758 | $1,212 |
| 33 | West Chicago | DuPage County | 17.6% | 25,395 | $99,927 | $1,469 |
| 34 | Plainfield | Will County | 17.7% | 46,708 | $144,000 | $2,119 |
| 35 | Springfield | Sangamon County | 17.7% | 113,330 | $66,064 | $975 |
| 36 | Mount Prospect | Cook County | 17.7% | 55,472 | $101,720 | $1,502 |
| 37 | Woodridge | DuPage County | 17.8% | 33,941 | $101,000 | $1,494 |
| 38 | Quincy | Adams County | 17.8% | 39,109 | $56,480 | $837 |
| 39 | Normal | McLean County | 17.9% | 53,569 | $64,785 | $965 |
| 40 | Carol Stream | DuPage County | 17.9% | 39,460 | $102,309 | $1,529 |
| 41 | Wheaton | DuPage County | 18.0% | 53,557 | $120,008 | $1,799 |
| 42 | Glenview | Cook County | 18.0% | 47,752 | $143,056 | $2,148 |
| 43 | Oswego | Kendall County | 18.0% | 36,375 | $123,792 | $1,860 |
| 44 | Edwardsville | Madison County | 18.1% | 26,474 | $86,721 | $1,306 |
| 45 | Elgin | Kane County | 18.1% | 114,934 | $90,282 | $1,361 |
| 46 | Arlington Heights | Cook County | 18.1% | 76,005 | $116,723 | $1,760 |
| 47 | Yorkville | Kendall County | 18.4% | 23,617 | $108,513 | $1,662 |
| 48 | Freeport | Stephenson County | 18.4% | 23,505 | $51,723 | $793 |
| 49 | Collinsville | Madison County | 18.4% | 24,031 | $67,612 | $1,038 |
| 50 | Belvidere | Boone County | 18.4% | 24,752 | $64,528 | $991 |
| 51 | Berwyn | Cook County | 18.6% | 55,595 | $78,408 | $1,215 |
| 52 | Vernon Hills | Lake County | 18.7% | 26,876 | $121,943 | $1,903 |
| 53 | Northbrook | Cook County | 18.7% | 34,585 | $157,782 | $2,463 |
| 54 | Buffalo Grove | Lake County | 18.9% | 42,891 | $129,395 | $2,037 |
| 55 | Burbank | Cook County | 18.9% | 28,739 | $80,116 | $1,265 |
| 56 | Palatine | Cook County | 19.0% | 66,293 | $97,819 | $1,549 |
| 57 | Oak Lawn | Cook County | 19.1% | 56,861 | $83,911 | $1,335 |
| 58 | St. Charles | Kane County | 19.1% | 32,854 | $114,300 | $1,819 |
| 59 | Belleville | Saint Clair County | 19.2% | 41,370 | $63,535 | $1,019 |
| 60 | Bolingbrook | Will County | 19.4% | 74,096 | $108,400 | $1,749 |
| 61 | Hoffman Estates | Cook County | 19.5% | 51,175 | $106,806 | $1,734 |
| 62 | Carpentersville | Kane County | 19.5% | 37,346 | $86,917 | $1,414 |
| 63 | Skokie | Cook County | 19.5% | 66,219 | $95,337 | $1,552 |
| 64 | Cicero | Cook County | 19.5% | 82,797 | $70,842 | $1,154 |
| 65 | Rolling Meadows | Cook County | 19.6% | 24,027 | $98,514 | $1,607 |
| 66 | Decatur | Macon County | 19.7% | 69,815 | $51,592 | $845 |
| 67 | Des Plaines | Cook County | 19.7% | 59,156 | $97,875 | $1,606 |
| 68 | Galesburg | Knox County | 19.9% | 29,481 | $48,297 | $801 |
| 69 | Waukegan | Lake County | 20.1% | 89,076 | $71,919 | $1,205 |
| 70 | Lansing | Cook County | 20.1% | 28,284 | $75,569 | $1,268 |
| 71 | Peoria | Peoria County | 20.3% | 112,169 | $59,410 | $1,005 |
| 72 | Aurora | Kane County | 20.5% | 179,898 | $93,633 | $1,596 |
| 73 | Elk Grove Village | Cook County | 20.6% | 31,987 | $94,175 | $1,618 |
| 74 | Hanover Park | DuPage County | 20.8% | 36,732 | $91,763 | $1,594 |
| 75 | Westmont | DuPage County | 20.9% | 23,724 | $88,090 | $1,533 |
| 76 | Romeoville | Will County | 21.3% | 41,152 | $106,325 | $1,886 |
| 77 | Niles | Cook County | 21.3% | 30,064 | $75,274 | $1,336 |
| 78 | Melrose Park | Cook County | 21.3% | 24,549 | $66,189 | $1,176 |
| 79 | Streamwood | Cook County | 21.4% | 39,001 | $101,218 | $1,809 |
| 80 | Round Lake Beach | Lake County | 21.5% | 27,079 | $86,059 | $1,543 |
| 81 | Rockford | Winnebago County | 21.6% | 147,521 | $54,752 | $985 |
| 82 | McHenry | McHenry County | 21.6% | 28,074 | $86,315 | $1,553 |
| 83 | Evanston | Cook County | 21.9% | 76,340 | $96,434 | $1,762 |
| 84 | Huntley | McHenry County | 22.0% | 28,005 | $88,536 | $1,622 |
| 85 | Glendale Heights | DuPage County | 22.0% | 32,808 | $86,545 | $1,590 |
| 86 | Danville | Vermilion County | 22.1% | 28,595 | $45,957 | $846 |
| 87 | Chicago | Cook County | 22.2% | 2,711,226 | $77,902 | $1,440 |
| 88 | Schaumburg | Cook County | 22.3% | 76,868 | $97,514 | $1,812 |
| 89 | Alton | Madison County | 22.3% | 25,279 | $54,568 | $1,015 |
| 90 | Zion | Lake County | 22.6% | 24,600 | $63,104 | $1,186 |
| 91 | Chicago Heights | Cook County | 22.7% | 26,736 | $54,798 | $1,038 |
| 92 | Lombard | DuPage County | 23.3% | 43,619 | $100,362 | $1,948 |
| 93 | Morton Grove | Cook County | 23.4% | 24,619 | $111,116 | $2,164 |
| 94 | Wheeling | Cook County | 23.4% | 38,433 | $85,205 | $1,663 |
| 95 | Champaign | Champaign County | 24.0% | 89,996 | $56,118 | $1,123 |
| 96 | Calumet City | Cook County | 25.5% | 35,100 | $55,369 | $1,177 |
| 97 | Urbana | Champaign County | 25.7% | 39,341 | $45,346 | $972 |
| 98 | Kankakee | Kankakee County | 25.8% | 23,996 | $47,514 | $1,023 |
| 99 | DeKalb | DeKalb County | 26.6% | 40,443 | $46,481 | $1,029 |
| 100 | North Chicago | Lake County | 28.4% | 30,643 | $60,172 | $1,426 |
Largest Cities · Cities With the Cheapest Rent · Cities With the Highest Household Income · Cities With the Lowest Unemployment · Cities in the Highest-Paying Counties · Most College-Educated Cities · Cities With the Most Homeowners · Cities With the Most Remote Work · Cities With the Shortest Commutes
Unincorporated places are census-designated places: they have no city government but are counted as communities. Figures describe the city itself.
New Lenox, with 12.2% (among the 100 largest places; ACS 2020–2024).
The 100 largest places in Illinois by population.