What do 1.5 million Illinoisans over 65 know that the rest of America does not? They know that the Land of Lincoln has some of the best places to call home if you want to retire.
That’s right.
There is more to Illinois than da’ Bears. There are super safe, affordable places for people looking to spend their retirement in the Midwest. We did the research and created a list of the top ten best places in Illinois to retire for 2026.
How’d we determine the best places to retire in Illinois? To identify Illinois’s top ten, we consulted the numbers. In total, we analyzed 198 cities. We looked at important factors like cost of living, crime, amenities, rent, and distance to the closest national airport for every place with over 10,000 residents.
We discovered that people in this demographic are moving to bigger cities for better access to public transportation, healthcare options, and programs designed especially for them. We found most of the state’s best places to retire center around Chicago.
And don’t forget to give places like Waterloo and Columbia a second look.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Best Places To Retire In Illinois For 2026
What’s the best place to retire in Illinois for 2026? According to the latest data, Palos Hills is the best place to retire in the Prairie State for 2026.
Where are the best places to retire in Illinois? Keep reading.
Why did Palos Hills take the top spot? And where are Chicago and Aurora?
For more Illinois state reading:
- Best Places To Live In Illinois
- Cheapest Places To Live In Illinois
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Illinois
- Best Places To Retire In America
The 10 Best Places To Retire In Illinois For 2026
/10
Population: 18,081
Median Income: $83,533
Median Home Price: $280,021
Median Rent: $1,269
Distance to Closest Airport: 6 miles
More on Palos Hills: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 19,331
Median Income: $110,295
Median Home Price: $345,444
Median Rent: $1,414
Distance to Closest Airport: 5 miles
More on Brookfield: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 10,095
Median Income: $135,795
Median Home Price: $456,206
Median Rent: $1,493
Distance to Closest Airport: 14 miles
More on Winfield: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 17,820
Median Income: $123,370
Median Home Price: $565,404
Median Rent: $1,209
Distance to Closest Airport: 14 miles
More on Lemont: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 14,910
Median Income: $59,406
Median Home Price: $167,289
Median Rent: $912
Distance to Closest Airport: 59 miles
More on Dixon: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 10,262
Median Income: $82,551
Median Home Price: $267,000
Median Rent: $855
Distance to Closest Airport: 39 miles
More on Highland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 11,077
Median Income: $147,989
Median Home Price: $613,360
Median Rent: $1,500
Distance to Closest Airport: 16 miles
More on Barrington: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 19,416
Median Income: $235,081
Median Home Price: $1,167,578
Median Rent: $1,815
Distance to Closest Airport: 18 miles
More on Lake Forest: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 38,667
Median Income: $142,986
Median Home Price: $564,904
Median Rent: $1,537
Distance to Closest Airport: 3 miles
More on Park Ridge: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 17,175
Median Income: $250,001
Median Home Price: $1,244,308
Median Rent: $1,924
Distance to Closest Airport: 9 miles
More on Hinsdale: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Prairie State for 2026
To create our ranking of the best places in Illinois to retire, we used Saturday Night Science. We analyzed Census data to find all places in the Prairie State — 1364 cities and towns.
We then narrowed it down to places with at least 10,000 people that weren’t townships. This left us with 198 places from across the state.
For these 198, we looked at the following criteria taken from the Census, the FBI’s Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights:
- Low cost of living as measured by rent
- Low crime
- Things to do (Museums, Colleges, and Libraries in town)
- Nice weather
- Distance to the closest international airport
- Other retirees (High median age)
We then ranked each of these places for each criterion from one to 198, with the lowest number being the best.
Finally, we took the average rank across these criteria. The place, in this case Palos Hills, with the lowest average rank, was crowned the best of the best, a place for you to start your second career.
The report has been updated for 2026. This list reflects our eleventh time ranking the best places to retire in Illinois.
Summary: Maybe You’re Not Ready To Retire In Illinois Yet…
So there you have it, the best place to retire in Illinois goes to Palos Hills.
The best places to retire in Illinois are Palos Hills, Brookfield, Winfield, Lemont, Dixon, Highland, Barrington, Lake Forest, Park Ridge, and Hinsdale.
If you’re not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley:
- Montgomery
- Dekalb
- Round Lake Beach
For more Illinois reading, check out:
Best Places To Retire In Illinois
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palos Hills | 18,081 | $83,533 | $280,021 | $1,269 |
| 2 | Brookfield | 19,331 | $110,295 | $345,444 | $1,414 |
| 3 | Winfield | 10,095 | $135,795 | $456,206 | $1,493 |
| 4 | Lemont | 17,820 | $123,370 | $565,404 | $1,209 |
| 5 | Dixon | 14,910 | $59,406 | $167,289 | $912 |
| 6 | Highland | 10,262 | $82,551 | $267,000 | $855 |
| 7 | Barrington | 11,077 | $147,989 | $613,360 | $1,500 |
| 8 | Lake Forest | 19,416 | $235,081 | $1,167,578 | $1,815 |
| 9 | Park Ridge | 38,667 | $142,986 | $564,904 | $1,537 |
| 10 | Hinsdale | 17,175 | $250,001 | $1,244,308 | $1,924 |