State ranking · HUD FMR + Census ACS

Illinois: County Rent Burden

How much of household income goes to rent in each Illinois county, FY 2026.

18.7%
State avg 2BR burden
0
Counties over 30% (of 102)
0
Severely burdened (>50%)

What rent burden reveals about Illinois

Rent burden measures the share of household income going to rent. The federal standard, used by HUD and the Census Bureau, flags any household paying more than 30% of gross income on rent as "cost-burdened" and any household above 50% as "severely cost-burdened." This page calculates county-level burden by dividing HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rents — 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom — by Census-reported median household income for each county in Illinois. Across the 102 counties with complete data, the weighted average 2-bedroom burden is 18.7%, compared with a national average of 21.7% — meaning Illinois sits 3.0 percentage points lower than the US benchmark.

The distribution matters more than the state average. In Illinois, 0 of 102 counties (0%) have a 2-bedroom burden above 30%, and 0 counties cross the severe-burden threshold of 50%. The most burdened county is Alexander County at 27.4%, where the FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $992 eats that share of the local median income of $43,523. Because HUD's FMR sits at the 40th percentile of gross rents, this calculation understates the reality faced by renters paying market-rate: many higher-quality units in each county rent well above FMR, pushing actual burden rates even higher than the numbers shown below.

Burden data has direct policy stakes. High-burden counties see stronger demand for Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers (which cap tenant contribution at 30% of adjusted income and cover the gap up to FMR) and for Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) units, both of which rely on HUD's FMR as the foundational input. High burden also correlates with longer waitlists for public housing and greater housing instability — eviction filings, doubling up, and homelessness all rise in counties above the 50% threshold. Pair this page with the cheapest-counties ranking and year-over-year rent growth to see which Illinois counties are getting more affordable, which are tightening fastest, and where the burden gap between Illinois and the rest of the country is widening or narrowing.

State Avg Burden
18.7%
National Avg
21.7%
Counties > 30%
0
of 102
Severely Burdened
0
> 50% of income

All Counties by Rent Burden

# County 1 BR Rent 2 BR Rent 1 BR Burden 2 BR Burden
1 Alexander County $807 $992 22.3% 27.4%
2 Cook County $1,581 $1,781 23.2% 26.1%
3 Pulaski County $836 $916 23.2% 25.4%
4 Jackson County $737 $916 19.4% 24.1%
5 DeKalb County $1,046 $1,373 18.2% 23.9%
6 Kankakee County $1,011 $1,326 17.8% 23.3%
7 McDonough County $728 $951 17.3% 22.6%
8 Kendall County $1,562 $2,050 17% 22.3%
9 Winnebago County $895 $1,175 16.7% 21.9%
10 Vermilion County $742 $974 16.3% 21.4%
11 Champaign County $946 $1,122 18% 21.3%
12 Kane County $1,581 $1,781 18.8% 21.2%
13 Lawrence County $721 $946 16.2% 21.2%
14 Pope County $828 $1,087 15.9% 20.9%
15 McHenry County $1,581 $1,781 18.4% 20.8%
16 St. Clair County $995 $1,218 17% 20.8%
17 Coles County $759 $965 16.3% 20.7%
18 Wayne County $698 $916 15.8% 20.7%
19 White County $698 $916 15.8% 20.7%
20 Franklin County $698 $916 15.7% 20.6%
21 Knox County $698 $916 15.7% 20.6%
22 Rock Island County $928 $1,143 16.7% 20.5%
23 Wabash County $698 $916 15.6% 20.5%
24 Macon County $845 $1,063 16.2% 20.4%
25 Gallatin County $698 $916 15.3% 20.1%
26 Jefferson County $782 $1,026 15.4% 20.1%
27 Saline County $701 $920 15.3% 20.1%
28 Stark County $818 $1,039 15.8% 20%
29 McLean County $999 $1,302 15.3% 19.9%
30 Will County $1,581 $1,781 17.6% 19.8%
31 Adams County $811 $1,064 15% 19.7%
32 Christian County $742 $974 15% 19.7%
33 Henry County $928 $1,143 15.9% 19.6%
34 Lake County $1,581 $1,781 17.4% 19.6%
35 Greene County $756 $992 14.9% 19.5%
36 Madison County $995 $1,218 16% 19.5%
37 Sangamon County $970 $1,203 15.7% 19.5%
38 Union County $698 $916 14.8% 19.5%
39 DuPage County $1,581 $1,781 17.2% 19.3%
40 Edgar County $768 $916 16.2% 19.3%
41 Clay County $707 $916 14.8% 19.2%
42 De Witt County $790 $1,036 14.6% 19.2%
43 Fayette County $750 $916 15.8% 19.2%
44 Hardin County $698 $916 14.7% 19.2%
45 Peoria County $818 $1,039 15.1% 19.2%
46 Mercer County $928 $1,143 15.5% 19.1%
47 Williamson County $790 $1,037 14.5% 19%
48 Pike County $698 $916 14.4% 18.9%
49 Bureau County $789 $1,035 14.4% 18.8%
50 Fulton County $708 $916 14.5% 18.8%
51 Grundy County $1,118 $1,459 14.4% 18.8%
52 Massac County $789 $969 15.1% 18.6%
53 Edwards County $698 $916 14.1% 18.5%
54 Jersey County $995 $1,218 15.1% 18.5%
55 Logan County $782 $988 14.6% 18.5%
56 Perry County $698 $916 14.1% 18.5%
57 Montgomery County $714 $937 13.8% 18.2%
58 Richland County $729 $916 14.5% 18.2%
59 Carroll County $752 $916 14.8% 18.1%
60 Ford County $698 $916 13.8% 18.1%
61 Marion County $769 $916 15.2% 18.1%
62 Hamilton County $727 $916 14.2% 17.9%
63 La Salle County $822 $1,079 13.6% 17.9%
64 Marshall County $818 $1,039 14.1% 17.9%
65 Bond County $836 $916 16.3% 17.8%
66 Clinton County $995 $1,218 14.5% 17.8%
67 Mason County $698 $916 13.5% 17.7%
68 Menard County $970 $1,203 14.3% 17.7%
69 Stephenson County $698 $916 13.5% 17.7%
70 Brown County $810 $1,063 13.4% 17.6%
71 Iroquois County $698 $916 13.4% 17.6%
72 Boone County $895 $1,175 13.2% 17.3%
73 Livingston County $776 $1,018 13.2% 17.3%
74 Clark County $769 $1,009 13.1% 17.1%
75 Warren County $698 $916 13% 17%
76 Whiteside County $719 $916 13.4% 17%
77 Cass County $836 $916 15.5% 16.9%
78 Hancock County $791 $916 14.6% 16.9%
79 Johnson County $735 $916 13.5% 16.9%
80 Morgan County $698 $916 12.9% 16.9%
81 Ogle County $852 $1,118 12.9% 16.9%
82 Henderson County $698 $916 12.8% 16.7%
83 Shelby County $789 $951 13.8% 16.7%
84 Schuyler County $836 $916 15.2% 16.6%
85 Crawford County $764 $916 13.6% 16.3%
86 Tazewell County $818 $1,039 12.8% 16.3%
87 Lee County $810 $916 14.2% 16.1%
88 Macoupin County $698 $916 12.2% 16%
89 Randolph County $698 $916 12.2% 16%
90 Calhoun County $995 $1,218 13% 15.9%
91 Cumberland County $717 $916 12.3% 15.7%
92 Jasper County $719 $933 12.1% 15.7%
93 Piatt County $946 $1,122 13% 15.4%
94 Jo Daviess County $796 $954 12.7% 15.3%
95 Moultrie County $698 $916 11.7% 15.3%
96 Scott County $698 $916 11.5% 15.1%
97 Douglas County $836 $916 13.5% 14.8%
98 Effingham County $754 $916 12% 14.6%
99 Woodford County $818 $1,039 11.5% 14.6%
100 Putnam County $851 $937 13.2% 14.5%
101 Washington County $836 $916 13.3% 14.5%
102 Monroe County $995 $1,218 11.7% 14.4%
National burden rankings → All Illinois rents → Cheapest counties →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the rent burden in Illinois? ▼
The average 2-bedroom rent burden in Illinois is 18.7% of household income. 0 of 102 counties exceed the 30% affordability threshold.
Which counties in Illinois are most rent burdened? ▼
The most rent-burdened county is Alexander County at 27.4% of income. No counties exceed the 50% severe burden threshold.
How does Illinois compare to the national average? ▼
Illinois's average rent burden is 18.7% vs the national average of 21.7%. That's 3.0 percentage points lower than average.

Data sources: HUD FY 2026 Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau median household income. Rent burden = (annual FMR ÷ median income) × 100.

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.