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Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL

The Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL is $1,781 per month, ranking #114 out of 693 areas nationwide. The area median household income is $88,850, meaning a household spending Fair Market Rent on a 2-bedroom would pay 24.1% of income on housing. Rent in Chicago-Joliet-Naperville has increased 3.9% year over year. The area has a population of 9.4M, with 34.7% of households renting.

24.1%
Moderately Affordable
of income → rent
$1,781
2BR Fair Market Rent
vs $1,250 national median
$88,850
Median Income
vs $71,049 national
$1,378
Actual Median Rent
Census ACS estimate
+3.9%
Year-over-Year
2BR FMR change
9.4M
Population
Census ACS
34.7%
Renters
of occupied housing
$301,900
Median Home Value
7%
Vacancy Rate
of housing units
11.1%
Poverty Rate
below poverty line

Fair Market Rent by Bedroom Size

$1,480
Studio
$1,581
1 Bedroom
$1,781
2 Bedroom
$2,294
3 Bedroom
$2,653
4 Bedroom

Fair Market Rents (FMRs) are set annually by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and represent the 40th percentile of gross rents for standard-quality units in an area. FMRs are used to determine payment standards for the Housing Choice Voucher program and other federal housing assistance.

Housing Affordability

In Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL, a household earning the area median income of $88,850 would spend 24.1% of their gross income on a 2-bedroom at Fair Market Rent. This falls below HUD's 30% cost-burden threshold, meaning housing is relatively affordable for median-income households in this area.

Income Needed for 2BR
$71,240
annual (30% threshold)
Hourly Wage Needed
$34
full-time (2,080 hrs/yr)
Actual Median Rent
$1,378
$403 below FMR

5-Year Rent Trend

+37.1% since 2021
$1,2992021$1,3402022$1,4402023$1,7142024$1,7612025$1,7812026

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent by fiscal year. Source: HUD FMR API.

Minimum Wage Affordability

The minimum wage in Illinois is $14.00/hr. A minimum-wage worker would need to work 97.9 hours per week to afford a 2-bedroom at Fair Market Rent without exceeding 30% of income on housing. This means a single minimum-wage earner cannot afford a 2-bedroom working a standard 40-hour week. The poverty rate in Chicago-Joliet-Naperville is 11.1%, below the national average of approximately 12.4%.

State Min Wage
$14.00/hr
Hours/Week Needed
97.9 hrs
Poverty Rate
11.1%

Housing Market Context

The median home value in Chicago-Joliet-Naperville is $301,900. At a median income of $88,850, this represents a price-to-income ratio of 3.4x. 7% of housing units in the area are vacant, which is below the national average and suggests a tight housing market.

Rent vs. Buy
$2,113 est. mortgage
vs $1,781 FMR rent
Vacancy Rate
7%
of housing units

Other Areas in Illinois

Kendall County
$2,050/mo
2BR FMR · 27.7% burden
Grundy County
$1,459/mo
2BR FMR · 19.7% burden
DeKalb County
$1,373/mo
2BR FMR · 18.5% burden
Kankakee
$1,326/mo
2BR FMR · 23.3% burden
Bloomington
$1,302/mo
2BR FMR · 19.9% burden

Compare Chicago-Joliet-Naperville

vs Kendall County, ILvs Grundy County, ILvs DeKalb County, IL

Areas With Similar Rent to Chicago-Joliet-Naperville

Frequently Asked Questions

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL is $1,781 per month. A studio is $1,480/mo, a 1-bedroom is $1,581/mo, and a 3-bedroom is $2,294/mo. The actual median gross rent from Census data is $1,378/mo.

Chicago-Joliet-Naperville has a rent burden of 24.1%, meaning a household earning the median income of $88,850 would spend 24.1% of income on a 2-bedroom at Fair Market Rent. This is below HUD's 30% cost-burden threshold, indicating relatively affordable housing. To afford a 2-bedroom without being cost-burdened, a household would need an annual income of at least $71,240.

Chicago-Joliet-Naperville's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,781/mo is $531 above the national median of $1,250/mo. Chicago-Joliet-Naperville ranks #114 out of 693 areas for highest rent in the United States.

To afford a 2-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Chicago-Joliet-Naperville without spending more than 30% of income on housing, you would need an annual household income of at least $71,240, or a full-time hourly wage of $34/hour. The area median income is $88,850.

The 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Chicago-Joliet-Naperville increased by 3.9% compared to the prior year. This is a modest increase, roughly in line with typical housing cost trends.

Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of gross rents for standard-quality rental units. Rent burden is calculated as annual 2BR FMR divided by area median household income. Census data (income, home value, population, vacancy) is from the ACS 5-Year estimates. Unemployment rates are from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics.