From the bright lights and big cities to the endless waving seas of agricultural fields, Illinois truly has something for everybody — which is probably why more than 12.5 million people live there. That makes it the sixth most populous state in the nation, though Chicago alone is home to almost 2.7 million of those souls.
So we know it’s beautiful, diverse, and full of friendly faces and delicious food. But is Illinois affordable to live in?
What’s the Average Cost of Living in Illinois?
Average Cost of Living in Illinois: $49,558 per year
Good news, Midwesterners: According to most accounts, the answer is yes.
Illinois enjoyed the 17th lowest cost of living in the United States for 2022, according to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC ).
The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates personal expenditures by state, and on average, an Illinois resident spends $49,558 per year, as per the bureau’s 2021 data.
Here’s how that figure breaks down into different basic expense categories:
Let’s take a closer look into each of these categories, as well as a few others.
Housing Costs in Illinois
Average Housing Costs in Illinois: $855 to $1,693 per month
For many Americans, housing is the single largest cost they face. Mortgage or rent payments represent a significant chunk of the monthly budget.
But housing is one of those costs that really depends on where you’re living: not only which state but also which city.
According to February 2023 data from Zillow, the typical home value in Illinois is $234,951. Refin puts the median sale price at $238,600. Those figures are significantly lower than the average U.S. existing-home sale price of $359,000 for January 2023, according to the National Association of Realtors®.
Furthermore, the averages are boosted by the cost of housing in major cities like Chicago. Many Illinois population centers have typical home prices that are five digits rather than six digits long, as we’ll soon see, and even Chicago homes are fairly affordable, especially for a large U.S. city.
Here are the typical home values in a variety of Illinois cities, according to January 2023 data from Zillow.
So how does that break down on a by-month basis? Here are the median mortgage and rent prices in Illinois, according to 2021 data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
- Median monthly mortgage cost: $1,781
- Median studio rent: $989
- Median one-bedroom rent: $955
- Median two-bedroom rent: $1,107
- Median three-bedroom rent: $1,298
- Median four-bedroom rent: $1,463
- Median five-bedroom (or more) rent: $1,416
- Median gross rent: $1,106
Utility Costs in Illinois
Average Utility Costs in Illinois: $330 per month
Roof over your head? Check. Now for the electricity, water, gas, and internet connection that make it livable.
While individual utility costs vary — people use different amounts of each service, depending on their lifestyles — here are some averages to help you estimate how much you might stand to spend monthly on utilities in Illinois.
Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Sales, Revenue, and Average Price, 2021; Inspirecleanenergy.com; DoxoInsights, U.S. Cable & Internet Market Size and Household Spending Report 2022; and Rentcafe.com, What Is the Average Water Bill?
Groceries & Food
Average Grocery & Food Costs in Illinois: $288 per person, per month
There’s so much more to Illinois cuisine than corn — or even Chicago-style hot dogs and pizza. But how much does it cost to feed yourself and your family in the Prairie State?
Per the Bureau of Economic Analysis figures above, the average Illinois resident spends $3,451 per year on non-restaurant food and beverages, which works out to about $288 per person, per month. That would mean about $576 per month for a married couple, or $1,152 per month for a family of four — but do keep in mind that this average doesn’t take into account the fact that children eat less than adults, or even that some adults eat less than others!
Location also matters, though. The Council for Community and Economic Research regularly updates its cost-of-living index for major American metro areas, and includes data on grocery costs specifically. Here’s how some major Illinois cities stack up when it comes to how much you might expect to pay at the grocery store, per its second-quarter 2022 data.
Transportation
Average Transportation Costs in Illinois: $5,149 to $13,993 per year
Chicago is well known (and loved) for its fast and friendly public transportation options — but even in the big city, a lot of residents depend on private vehicles to travel, and no matter how you get around, you’ll pay for it somehow.
While a family’s specific travel costs can range widely depending on their lifestyles, MIT’s Living Wage Calculator offers some great insights into how much you might expect to pay on transportation costs each year, based on its 2023 data.
Health Care
Average Health Care Costs in Illinois: $7,449 per person, per year
Drawing on the same Bureau of Economic Analysis data used in the initial expenditure breakdown above, the average Illinois resident spends $7,449 per year on health care, or about $620.75 per month, per person.
Of course, if you’ve got kids running and jumping around the playground or consider yourself a sports aficionado, you may stand to spend more than that. Conversely, if you eat well, exercise, and aren’t very accident-prone, you may spend less — all depending on your health care coverage.
Child Care
Average Child Care Costs in Illinois: $917 to $1,182 or more per child, per month
Taking care of the kiddos: It’s some of the best work there is, but it sure is work, and when you’ve got another job to do, you usually have to pay someone else to do it.
Child care isn’t cheap anywhere, though costs do vary depending on where you are. Costofchildcare.org offers some great averages for how much you might expect to pay in Illinois (and elsewhere) depending on how many children you have and what kind of care scenario you’re after.d
Sound expensive? The Illinois Department of Human Services offers resources for lower-income families to help match them with affordable child care throughout the state.
Taxes
State Income Tax Rate in Illinois: 4.95%
Illinois, unlike many other U.S. states, levies its income tax at a single rate — so all eligible earners living in Illinois pay the same rate, regardless of income level.
The good news is, per the Tax Foundation’s Tax Foundation’s State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets for 2023 , that tax rate is a relatively low 4.95%. While it’s not the lowest in the country (which hovers in the 2-3% range, aside from the seven states that levy no state income tax at all), it’s much lower than neighboring Wisconsin’s 7.65%.
Miscellaneous Costs
Once all the basics are taken care of, it’s time to have some fun. If Illinois residents spend an average of $29,795 on non-essential personal expenditures, where might some of that money be going? (Prices accurate as of March 2023),/p>
- Tickets to see a Chicago Cubs home game at Wrigley Field: Starting under $20, according to SeatGeek, but could cost hundreds from third-party vendors close to game time.
- Admission to the Art Institute of Chicago, a renowned museum founded by a group of artists all the way back in 1879: Start at $20 for adults who are local residents, but non-Illinois visitors will pay $25.
- A large pepperoni pan pizza from Burt’s Place, the No. 1 pizza joint on Eater Chicago’s list: $24.75 before beverage, sides, or tip.
The good news is, there’s plenty of free stuff to do in Illinois. For starters, every single one of its many glorious state parks is free to enter, though there may be fees to camp. Additionally, Tours of the Lincoln Home in Springfield are free (though you may need to pay $2 per hour to park your vehicle). And, of course, Chicago is known for its many public parks and art exhibits, including Cloud Gate, popularly known as “The Bean,” which is free to walk up to and admire in Millennium Park.
How Much Money Do You Need to Live Comfortably in Illinois?
Obviously, definitions of “comfortable” vary. What might feel cushy to one person could feel like belt-tightening to another.
That said, all things considered, Illinois is one of the cheapest states to live in based on a variety of different figures. As mentioned, MERIC puts it in ninth position on its cost-of-living ranking, and while U.S. News and World Report , sets the state at 16th on its Affordability Ranking, that’s still solidly in the cheapest quarter of states.
Again, where exactly you decide to hang your hat in Illinois could make a big difference.
What City Has the Lowest Cost of Living in Illinois?
Even as a relatively affordable state overall, you can stack the odds in your favor by opting for one of the lowest-cost cities in Illinois. The Council for Community and Economic Research, which we cited above when parsing grocery costs, also ranks metro areas by overall cost of living.
Here are the three least expensive Illinois cities on its list as of the second quarter of 2022.
Decatur
With a cost-of-living index of 80.0 (Chicago’s is 120.3, for comparison), Decatur is the largest city in Macon County, with a population of almost 70,000.
Only about 45 minutes east of Springfield, Decatur offers all of its own attractions — such as the Scovill Zoo and Chevrolet Hall of Fame Museum — within easy reach of the nearby capital city, and at a fraction of the price.
Danville
Tucked just over the border from Indiana, Danville has a cost-of-living index score of 83.6, and it also enjoys the lowest housing index costs in the state.
With a population of almost 28,800, per 2021 census data, it’s certainly not a big city, but it packs a punch in charm: Lake Vermilion offers a lovely local waterfront, part of which is populated by a country club, and the Vermilion County Museum offers reconstructions of a 1900s school room and the interior of a coal mine.
Champaign-Urbana
WiComing in with a cost-of-living index score of 88.1, Champaign-Urbana is another inland Illinois city worth taking a closer look at if you’re looking for affordable living. Per January 2023 Zillow data, the typical home value here is an affordable $182,707, and its status as home to the University of Illinois means there’s always something to do here.
This article originally appeared on SoFi.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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Can you really afford to live in Florida?
Average Cost of Living in Florida: $50,689 per year
If you dream of days spent on sandy Florida beaches, your wallet is in luck. Florida residents enjoy the 32nd-lowest cost of living in the United States, per MERIC data gathered in 2022. While 32nd place may not seem like much to brag about, when you compare what it would cost you to enjoy California’s beaches as a resident, your monthly budget is getting a break. California has the fourth-highest cost of living in the country.
Rankings give a look at the bigger picture, but what is the cost of living in Florida? Using 2021 data, the Bureau of Economic Analysis found that the average total personal consumption cost in Florida is $50,689 per year. Here’s how that breaks down.
Sean Pavone/istockphoto
Average Housing Costs in Florida: $1,137 to $1,981 per month
No matter where you live, one of your largest ongoing expenses will be paying for housing. Florida has nearly 10 million housing units, according to the 2021 census, so there’s an array of housing options throughout the state. How much do those housing options cost? Zillow listed the typical value of Florida homes at about $377,816 in February 2023, compared with a U.S. median existing-home sale price of $359,000 the previous month.
Here’s what monthly housing prices can look like in Florida, according to the latest census data from 2021:
- Median monthly mortgage cost: $1,618
- Median studio rent: $1,137
- Median one-bedroom rent: $1,142
- Median two-bedroom rent: $1,352
- Median three-bedroom rent: $1,542
- Median four-bedroom rent: $1,828
- Median five-bedroom (or more) rent: $1,981
- Median gross rent: $1,348
Housing prices vary throughout the state, so let’s examine the typical home values for 20 major Florida cities, per Zillow, in January 2023.
felixmizioznikov/istockphoto
Average Utility Costs in Florida: $411 per month
Utility costs can vary a lot, depending on your state, whether you rely on natural gas, the size and age of your home, and age of appliances. Here’s what you can expect to spend in Florida.
Yevhenii Podshyvalov/istockphoto
Average Grocery & Food Costs in Florida: $323.83 per person, per month
One ongoing expense is groceries and eating out. Where you live can affect how much you’ll spend on food.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that the average Floridian’s annual non-restaurant food cost is $3,886, so that’s about $324 per month. A family of four can expect to spend $1,296 per month on groceries, more or less.
The Council for Community and Economic Research , which ranks the food costs in major American cities, ranked Florida cities’ grocery costs for the second quarter of 2022 from lowest to highest.
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Average Transportation Costs in Florida: $5,477 to $15,530 per year
No matter where you live in the country, transportation costs can add up. Throw kids into the mix, and costs rise.
Here’s what transportation can cost in Florida, according to MIT’s Living Wage Calculator for the first quarter of 2023.
pabst_ell/istockphoto
Average Health Care Costs in Florida: $7,676 per person, per year
The average annual per-capita cost of health care in Florida is $7,676, the 2021 Bureau of Economic Analysis Personal Consumption Expenditures by State report found.
It’s worth noting that how much you spend on health care will depend on your unique medical needs and health insurance coverage.
stevecoleimages/istockphoto
Average Child Care Costs in Florida: $702 to $1,364 or more per child, per month
Many parents know the struggle of budgeting for child care. Where you live and the type of care you choose can have an effect on how much you spend.
In Florida if you need care for an infant, you’ll find that home-based family child care is much less expensive than an infant classroom. But once your child gets a little bit older, you’ll save by choosing the toddler classroom route. Let’s take a look at average child care costs in Florida.
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Highest Marginal Tax Rate in Florida: None
Ready for some good news? Florida residents aren’t charged any state income tax, as noted by the Tax Foundation’s State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets for 2023.
If you like the idea of getting away from state income taxes, then you’ll appreciate that the following states also don’t charge state income tax: Alaska, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming.
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Now that you have a general idea of what the essentials will cost you, let’s chat about some of the non-essentials that make life fun.
If personal expenditures average $28,562 per person, per year in Florida, this is where Floridians may be spending some of that money (costs are accurate as of March 2023):
- Walt Disney World annual passes start at $399 per year, per person and go as high as $1,399.
- A day at the Miami Zoo is a much more affordable way to enjoy some family time: Free to $22.95, depending on age.
- To get up close and personal with the alligators Florida is famous for, Gatorland tickets start at $22.99. A day spent on one of Florida’s beaches won’t set you back anything, aside from parking and snacks.
BanksPhotos/istockphoto
While your definition of what it means to live comfortably will be unique to you and your needs, we all have a basic standard of living we hope to meet without having to feel excess financial pressure. If you have your heart set on moving to Florida, you may or may not find it hard to live comfortably.
According to U.S. News & World Report’s Affordability Rankings , Florida is 31 out of 50. That finding falls close to the MERIC data that ranked Florida the 32nd most expensive state.
Kasra Keighobady/istockphoto
These two Florida cities have low cost of living, according to the Council for Community and Economic Research’s Cost of Living Index for the second quarter of 2022.
Jacksonville
You don’t need to give up big-city life for an affordable lifestyle in Florida. Jacksonville, with almost 1 million residents, as of the 2021 census, is the city with the second-lowest cost of living in the Sunshine State, with a cost-of-living index of 94.2.
Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach is another affordable city in Florida, with a cost-of-living index of 97.1. That’s a pretty sweet deal when you consider the fact that Daytona Beach really is a beach town. Affordable ocean views? Yes, please. This city also hosts tons of fun events year-round and is home to lots of great restaurants.
This article originally appeared on SoFi.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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