If you’re on the hunt for the cheapest places to live in Illinois, you’re in luck. The Land of Lincoln is brimming with affordable cities that offer a low living cost without compromising the quality of life.
We used Saturday Night Science to identify the cheapest places to live in Illinois based on the cost of living, home prices, and rents.
You don’t need to be a millionaire to enjoy what these inexpensive Illinois cities provide. So, grab a fried tenderloin sandwich or some deep dish and read on to learn there are affordable places to live in Illinois outside of just Chicago.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 most affordable places to live in Illinois
What is the most affordable place to live in Illinois for 2026? The most affordable place in Illinois is East St. Louis after crunching data from the US Census on median housing costs, median income, and overall cost of living for cities with over 5,000 residents in Illinois.
And even though East St. Louis may be the cheapest, every place in the top ten lets you live like a king on a pauper’s salary.
Check out some more reading about Illinois and the cheapest places in the country:
The 10 Cheapest Places To Live In Illinois For 2026
/10
Population: 17,999
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 76
Median Income: $35,700
Median Home Price: $39,296
Median Rent: $847
East St. Louis, located in southern Illinois, has the lowest median home value in the state, coupled with a low cost of living index at 76. It ranks as the cheapest place in Illinois.
Particularly in intra-state rankings, home prices and rent will be the most significant factors in determining how expensive a place in Illinois is. And home prices usually reflect demand.
More on East St. Louis: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 7,827
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 80
Median Income: $60,171
Median Home Price: $272,660
Median Rent: $1,110
Park City is a small city located in the Warren and Waukegan townships of Lake County, Illinois, United States. The population was 7,570 at the 2010 census.
More on Park City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 5,726
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 80
Median Income: $54,409
Median Home Price: $95,487
Median Rent: $719
With a median home price of $95,487, Du Quoin has the second lowest price tag on home ownership on this list. On the flip side, Du Quoin residents also have the lowest income of places on this list, with a median income of $54,409. Overall, Du Quoin has the tenth lowest ratio of home price to income in Illinois, so the two things average out just fine if you’re trying to buy. The median rent in Du Quoin is $719, which is the lowest you’ll see on this list. However, because of the slightly lower median income in Du Quoin, buying is still the most cost effective option for housing.
Du Quoin is located in the southwestern part of the state, an hour and a half southeast of St. Louis.
More on Du Quoin: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 5,034
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 80
Median Income: $60,861
Median Home Price: $81,733
Median Rent: $882
Located about 2 hours south of Chicago and 2 hours northwest of Indianapolis, Hoopeston ranks as the fourth cheapest city in Illinois. At a median price tag of $81,733, Hoopeston has some of the least expensive home prices in the state. Folks in Hoopeston earn a median income of $60,861, giving Hoopeston the second best ratio of home price to income in Illinois. Even though rent in Hoopeston is quite low at $882/month, the slightly lower median income in Hoopeston makes renting less attractive than buying.
More on Hoopeston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 11,913
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 81
Median Income: $50,886
Median Home Price: $76,579
Median Rent: $797
Kewanee holds the fifth place rank for affordability in Illinois. Located an hour southeast of Davenport, IA, it’s one of the northernmost cities in this ranking. The cost of living goes up as you move north.
Windmont Park and Liberty Park offer free outside activities to help you save more of your $50,886 median income. That frees up funds to spend big at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield once a year.
More on Kewanee: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 8,577
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 81
Median Income: $59,980
Median Home Price: $132,106
Median Rent: $809
Olney ranks as one of the most affordable places to live in Illinois. With a population of 8,577, this city offers a median home value of $132,106 and median rent of $809, making it an ideal place for those looking for affordable housing options.
In addition to its low cost of living, Olney is known for a strong community spirit, excellent schools, and a low crime rate. With a median income of $59,980, residents here enjoy a comfortable lifestyle with plenty of amenities and things to do.
More on Olney: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 6,863
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 81
Median Income: $54,123
Median Home Price: $104,190
Median Rent: $798
Benton is a city in Franklin County, Illinois, United States. The population was 7,087 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Franklin County.
More on Benton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 12,330
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 82
Median Income: $57,609
Median Home Price: $122,609
Median Rent: $852
Streator is a city in LaSalle and Livingston counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The city is situated on the Vermilion River approximately 81 miles southwest of Chicago in the prairie and farm land of north-central Illinois. It is the center of the geographic region known as Streatorland. According to the 2010 census, the population of Streator was 13,710.
More on Streator: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 8,276
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 82
Median Income: $53,927
Median Home Price: $99,912
Median Rent: $777
You may think that Paris is an expensive city, and you’d be right if we were talking about the one in France. Paris, Illinois, on the other hand, is the ninth cheapest place to live in the whole state.
A city of 8,276 situated near the Indiana border, Paris has some crazy cheap housing options. The housing portion of Paris’ cost of living score is nearly half the statewide average. Homes here go for a median price of $99,912, while your typical Paris rental is about $777.
The median household income in Paris is $53,927, and that’s up over 8% from last year — with growth like that, we can expect things to just keep becoming more and more affordable.
Just because Paris is cheap doesn’t mean it’s without its luxuries. For example, the Eagle Ridge Golf Course is a local favorite, and it won’t break the bank to sign up for a season.
More on Paris: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 7,118
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 82
Median Income: $47,898
Median Home Price: $87,998
Median Rent: $661
West Frankfort is a city in Franklin County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,182 at the 2010 census. The city is part of the Metro Lakeland area.
More on West Frankfort: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
Cheapest places to live in Illinois FAQs
The county in Illinois with the lowest cost of living is Kane County. The average living wage in Kane County is $100,148 according to MIT data. Kane County has the lowest cost of living because it has relatively less expensive childcare and housing costs compared to Illinois as a whole. Childcare costs $20,904 a year in Kane County for two children compared to the Illinois average of $17,909. Housing costs, defined as a blend of the average rent and average mortgage payment, are $15,588 per year in Kane County compared to $13,649 on average in Illinois.
The cost of living in Illinois is 5.3% higher than the US average. According to MIT, the required living wage for a family of four with two working parents in Illinois is $94,525 vs the national average for a family of four with two working parents of $89,744. The median income of a Illinois household is $68,428.
The cheapest housing market in Illinois is Park City. The average home value in Park City is $23,200, the lowest in the state. The average home value in Illinois is $202,100, almost 8.7 times higher than Park City.
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The county in Illinois with the lowest cost of living is Kane County. The average living wage in Kane County is $100,148 according to MIT data. Kane County has the lowest cost of living because it has relatively less expensive childcare and housing costs compared to Illinois as a whole. Childcare costs $20,904 a year in Kane County for two children compared to the Illinois average of $17,909. Housing costs, defined as a blend of the average rent and average mortgage payment, are $15,588 per year in Kane County compared to $13,649 on average in Illinois.
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The cost of living in Illinois is 5.3% higher than the US average. According to MIT, the required living wage for a family of four with two working parents in Illinois is $94,525 vs the national average for a family of four with two working parents of $89,744. The median income of a Illinois household is $68,428.
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Methodology: How we determined the most affordable places to live in the Prairie State for 2026
Determining affordability for places in Illinois boils down to how much it costs to live here.
You need to understand your costs relative to what people in the rest of the state are paying.
With that logic in mind, we derived several cost of living statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2020-2024 for Illinois using Saturday Night Science. We indexed the cost of living statistics across the following categories:
- Housing
- Transportation
- Services
- Groceries
- Healthcare
- Utilities
These are then weighted together to produce an overall cost of living index where 100 is the United States average. Anything below 100 is relatively affordable. Anything over 100 is relatively expensive.
We applied the biggest weight to housing as it typically accounts for 25% or more of your budget. Additionally, housing costs are the highest variant cost across a state. We then compare these cost of living metrics for each place in Illinois to figure out which is the least expensive.
The “Cost of Living Index” allows you to rank all of the 330 places in Illinois that have more than 5,000 people from least expensive to most expensive. Any ties went to the larger city.
The place in Illinois with the lowest cost of living according to the data is East St. Louis.
We updated this article for 2026. This report reflects our eleventh time ranking the cheapest places to live in Illinois.
Illinois Affordabilility Summary
This is an accurate list of the most affordable places to live in Illinois for 2026, if you’re looking at the cost of living numbers in Illinois.
The cheapest cities in Illinois are East St. Louis, Park City, Du Quoin, Hoopeston, Kewanee, Olney, Benton, Streator, Paris, and West Frankfort.
Here’s a look at the most expensive cities in Illinois according to the data:
- Glencoe
- Winnetka
- South Barrington
For more Illinois reading, check out:
- Best Places To Buy A House In Illinois
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Illinois
- Richest Cities In Illinois
Cheapest Places To Live In Illinois
| Rank | City | Population | Cost Of Living Index | Median Income | Home Prices | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East St. Louis | 17,999 | 76 | $35,700 | $39,296 | $847 |
| 2 | Park City | 7,827 | 80 | $60,171 | $272,660 | $1,110 |
| 3 | Du Quoin | 5,726 | 80 | $54,409 | $95,487 | $719 |
| 4 | Hoopeston | 5,034 | 80 | $60,861 | $81,733 | $882 |
| 5 | Kewanee | 11,913 | 81 | $50,886 | $76,579 | $797 |
| 6 | Olney | 8,577 | 81 | $59,980 | $132,106 | $809 |
| 7 | Benton | 6,863 | 81 | $54,123 | $104,190 | $798 |
| 8 | Streator | 12,330 | 82 | $57,609 | $122,609 | $852 |
| 9 | Paris | 8,276 | 82 | $53,927 | $99,912 | $777 |
| 10 | West Frankfort | 7,118 | 82 | $47,898 | $87,998 | $661 |
| 11 | Centralia | 11,856 | 83 | $47,807 | $109,743 | $765 |
| 12 | Rock Falls | 8,587 | 83 | $49,600 | $114,963 | $754 |
| 13 | Robinson | 7,084 | 83 | $73,993 | $101,121 | $907 |
| 14 | Murphysboro | 6,735 | 83 | $44,154 | $113,681 | $697 |
| 15 | Beardstown | 6,169 | 83 | $60,587 | $87,128 | $762 |
| 16 | Pinckneyville | 5,018 | 83 | $69,583 | $124,846 | $416 |
| 17 | Galesburg | 29,481 | 84 | $48,297 | $99,822 | $801 |
| 18 | Granite City | 26,549 | 84 | $59,205 | $111,237 | $834 |
| 19 | Freeport | 23,505 | 84 | $51,723 | $122,934 | $793 |
| 20 | Sterling | 14,717 | 84 | $57,350 | $137,875 | $859 |
| 21 | Harrisburg | 8,372 | 84 | $43,415 | $87,980 | $760 |
| 22 | Pana | 5,217 | 84 | $46,168 | $104,180 | $684 |
| 23 | Charleston | 17,062 | 85 | $49,300 | $162,022 | $817 |
| 24 | Mattoon | 16,586 | 85 | $51,597 | $123,516 | $740 |
| 25 | Monmouth | 8,581 | 85 | $61,138 | $105,664 | $733 |
| 26 | Jerseyville | 7,445 | 85 | $73,529 | $142,963 | $869 |
| 27 | Clinton | 6,985 | 85 | $62,323 | $143,891 | $934 |
| 28 | Mount Carmel | 6,854 | 85 | $47,009 | $106,342 | $804 |
| 29 | Litchfield | 6,834 | 85 | $53,958 | $121,156 | $675 |
| 30 | Metropolis | 5,864 | 85 | $50,399 | $117,764 | $752 |
| 31 | East Alton | 5,689 | 85 | $48,815 | $93,630 | $881 |
| 32 | Decatur | 69,815 | 86 | $51,592 | $104,058 | $845 |
| 33 | Danville | 28,595 | 86 | $45,957 | $75,761 | $846 |
| 34 | Alton | 25,279 | 86 | $54,568 | $103,096 | $1,015 |
| 35 | Dixon | 14,910 | 86 | $59,406 | $167,289 | $912 |
| 36 | Herrin | 12,226 | 86 | $59,975 | $105,723 | $1,002 |
| 37 | Taylorville | 10,646 | 86 | $57,552 | $131,270 | $828 |
| 38 | Wood River | 10,279 | 86 | $62,703 | $127,547 | $936 |
| 39 | Hillsboro | 5,803 | 86 | $50,158 | $139,938 | $715 |
| 40 | Jacksonville | 18,014 | 87 | $65,432 | $133,975 | $711 |
| 41 | Pontiac | 11,294 | 87 | $61,279 | $150,833 | $842 |
| 42 | Riverdale | 10,340 | 87 | $39,833 | $108,120 | $1,231 |
| 43 | Salem | 7,236 | 87 | $59,728 | $141,416 | $774 |
| 44 | Mendota | 6,994 | 87 | $51,632 | $173,549 | $773 |
| 45 | Chester | 6,797 | 87 | $80,625 | $114,646 | $760 |
| 46 | Vandalia | 5,796 | 87 | $45,469 | $125,377 | $778 |
| 47 | Carlinville | 5,480 | 87 | $57,708 | $140,570 | $824 |
| 48 | Belleville | 41,370 | 88 | $63,535 | $156,535 | $1,019 |
| 49 | Harvey | 20,230 | 88 | $42,429 | $100,310 | $960 |
| 50 | Marion | 16,836 | 88 | $56,912 | $171,752 | $921 |
| 51 | Macomb | 14,894 | 88 | $44,411 | $104,805 | $765 |
| 52 | Mount Vernon | 14,090 | 88 | $55,357 | $124,129 | $910 |
| 53 | Lincoln | 13,281 | 88 | $57,340 | $130,596 | $828 |
| 54 | Rantoul | 12,421 | 88 | $48,691 | $140,357 | $890 |
| 55 | Greenville | 7,235 | 88 | $62,089 | $171,260 | $783 |
| 56 | Spring Valley | 5,476 | 88 | $70,598 | $138,946 | $915 |
| 57 | Rockford | 147,521 | 89 | $54,752 | $177,225 | $985 |
| 58 | Quincy | 39,109 | 89 | $56,480 | $173,588 | $837 |
| 59 | Pekin | 31,781 | 89 | $60,790 | $138,124 | $819 |
| 60 | Kankakee | 23,996 | 89 | $47,514 | $149,623 | $1,023 |
| 61 | Canton | 13,144 | 89 | $53,254 | $91,364 | $766 |
| 62 | Pontoon Beach | 6,025 | 89 | $62,861 | $187,320 | $1,277 |
| 63 | Peoria Heights | 5,825 | 89 | $60,099 | $115,398 | $913 |
| 64 | Milan | 5,034 | 89 | $62,597 | $184,801 | $963 |
| 65 | Eureka | 5,007 | 89 | $56,048 | $205,467 | $692 |
| 66 | Rock Island | 36,151 | 90 | $59,041 | $122,692 | $842 |
| 67 | Belvidere | 24,752 | 90 | $64,528 | $255,895 | $991 |
| 68 | Loves Park | 23,502 | 90 | $61,868 | $195,132 | $1,120 |
| 69 | Carbondale | 22,158 | 90 | $32,128 | $134,808 | $771 |
| 70 | Ottawa | 18,447 | 90 | $71,413 | $206,707 | $920 |
| 71 | LaSalle | 9,498 | 90 | $57,732 | $123,171 | $1,045 |
| 72 | Steger | 9,418 | 90 | $66,575 | $165,484 | $1,076 |
| 73 | Colona | 5,139 | 90 | $79,700 | $177,129 | $838 |
| 74 | Moline | 42,197 | 91 | $67,701 | $144,032 | $900 |
| 75 | Collinsville | 24,031 | 91 | $67,612 | $192,078 | $1,038 |
| 76 | East Moline | 20,904 | 91 | $61,779 | $145,116 | $868 |
| 77 | Effingham | 12,342 | 91 | $72,377 | $226,768 | $725 |
| 78 | Peru | 9,775 | 91 | $74,808 | $177,235 | $921 |
| 79 | Sauk Village | 9,678 | 91 | $69,973 | $146,776 | $1,502 |
| 80 | Bethalto | 9,239 | 91 | $64,775 | $197,188 | $981 |
| 81 | Princeton | 7,975 | 91 | $61,946 | $167,664 | $782 |
| 82 | Silvis | 7,955 | 91 | $62,375 | $153,476 | $965 |
| 83 | Bartonville | 5,841 | 91 | $72,821 | $130,911 | $1,214 |
| 84 | Peoria | 112,169 | 92 | $59,410 | $128,837 | $1,005 |
| 85 | Calumet City | 35,100 | 92 | $55,369 | $150,472 | $1,177 |
| 86 | Chicago Heights | 26,736 | 92 | $54,798 | $166,838 | $1,038 |
| 87 | Park Forest | 21,156 | 92 | $61,072 | $149,727 | $1,365 |
| 88 | Harvard | 9,598 | 92 | $67,617 | $267,909 | $1,183 |
| 89 | South Beloit | 7,946 | 92 | $78,616 | $233,138 | $972 |
| 90 | Calumet Park | 6,855 | 92 | $53,556 | $159,229 | $1,288 |
| 91 | Geneseo | 6,673 | 92 | $70,147 | $238,661 | $1,015 |
| 92 | Mount Zion | 5,660 | 92 | $103,365 | $193,289 | $744 |
| 93 | Springfield | 113,330 | 93 | $66,064 | $163,198 | $975 |
| 94 | Lansing | 28,284 | 93 | $75,569 | $195,487 | $1,268 |
| 95 | Machesney Park | 22,630 | 93 | $75,489 | $201,575 | $1,102 |
| 96 | East Peoria | 22,324 | 93 | $71,833 | $176,420 | $886 |
| 97 | Rochelle | 9,529 | 93 | $66,307 | $187,169 | $985 |
| 98 | Round Lake Park | 7,919 | 93 | $55,813 | $220,880 | $1,402 |
| 99 | Chillicothe | 5,900 | 93 | $66,132 | $177,740 | $899 |
| 100 | Carterville | 5,818 | 93 | $62,337 | $178,565 | $909 |