10 most affordable places to live in Illinois in 2025
By Chicagos Iconic skyline and museums from world class to historic sights such as the house of Abraham Lincoln and the picturesque starving Rock State Park, there are plenty of reasons to consider moving to Illinois. If Illinois sounds like the state for you, you can also be curious about what cities fit in your budget. For example the Median Housing Sales Prize in Illinois is $ 285,900 from April.
Don’t worry if that price does not fit in your budget – we have options to help you find a house or apartment that it does. Redfin has completed a list of 10 of the most affordable places to live in Illinois – and they all have an average price for home sales under $ 285,900. Let’s find out which cities have made the list.
#1: Decatur
Median house price: $ 102,250
Average selling price per square foot: $ 75
Median family income: $ 45,404
Nearest Metro: Springfield (40 miles)
Decatur, il homes for sale
Decatur, il apartments for rent
With a median price for home sales of $ 102,250, Decatur is number one on our list of most affordable places to live in Illinois. About 70,500 inhabitants live in this medium -sized city. If you are considering moving to this area, make sure you visit Nelson Park, where you will find a restaurant, amphitheater and a view of Lake Decatur, view Rock Springs Conservation Area and walk along the paths in Fairview Park.
#2: Peoria
Median house price: $ 133,500
Average selling price per square foot: $ 86
Average rent for an apartment with 1 bedroom: $ 924
Median family income: $ 51,736
Nearest Metro: Chicago (160 miles)
Peoria, Il Homes for sale
Peoria, Il apartments for rent
Peoria comes as the second most affordable city to live in Illinois. If you live in this city of 113,100 people, you can explore Laura Bradley Park and the Forest Park Nature Center Peoria Riverfront Museum.
#3: Springfield
Median house price: $ 147,350
Average selling price per square foot: $ 90
Average rent for an apartment with 1 bedroom: $ 1,030
Median family income: $ 54,164
Nearest Metro: St. Louis (96 miles)
Springfield, Il Homes for sale
Springfield, Il Apartments for rent
About 114,400 people live in Springfield, located in Central Illinois. The median price for home sales is $ 147,350, which is about $ 140k less than the average price for home sales in Illinois. Make sure you visit the Illinois State Capitol building and view historical locations such as Lincoln Home National Historic Site, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and MuseumAnd Dana-Thomas House State Historic Site. You can also spend the day on Lake Springfield if you move to the third most affordable city.
#4: Rockford
Median house price: $ 165,000
Average selling price per square foot: $ 98
Average rent for an apartment with 1 bedroom: $ 987
Median family income: $ 50.744
Rockford, Il Homes for sale
Rockford, Il Apartments for rent
With a median price for home sales of $ 165,000, Rockford is the fourth on our list of most affordable places to live in Illinois. About 146,100 inhabitants live in this medium -sized city. If you are considering moving to this area, make sure you visit some green spaces of the city, such as the Anderson Japanese gardensthe Nicholas Conservatory & Gardensand the Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden. Rockford also has a great city center along the Rock River, where you will find local restaurants and breweries, the Rockford City Marketand the Coronado Performing Arts Center.
#5: Bloomington
Median house price: $ 212,500
Average selling price per square foot: $ 112
Average rent for an apartment with 1 bedroom: $ 1,012
Median family income: $ 66,861
Nearest Metro: Peoria (38 miles)
Bloomington, Il Homes for sale
Bloomington, Il Apartments for rent
Another remarkable city is Bloomington, where you notice that house prices are about $ 120k less than the state average. Bloomington has around 78,700 inhabitants and is a great city to buy a house this year. There are many activities to do in this city. You can use the museums and historic places such as the McLean County Museum of History And David Davis MansionView Miller Park and the Miller Park Zoo and Golf in one of the jobs, alongside many other local favorites.
#6: Waukegan
Median house price: $ 234,000
Average selling price per square foot: $ 178
Average rent for an apartment with 1 bedroom: $ 1,385
Median family income: $ 66,077
Nearest Metro: Chicago (45 miles)
Waukegan, Il Huizen for sale
Waukegan, Il apartments for rent
The sixth on our list is Waukegan, located along Lake Michigan. The home base of around 87,600 inhabitants, Waukegan is a great affordable city on the lake to live in. For example, you can enjoy the Waukegan Municipal Beach where you will find the Waukegan Dunes and the Waukegan Harbor Light. Waukegan also has many sights such as the Genaatsee Theater And green spaces such as Waukegan Savanna Forest Preserve and the Illinois Beach Nature Preserve.
#7: Champaign
Median house price: $ 237,000
Average selling price per square foot: $ 148
Average rent for an apartment with 1 bedroom: $ 1.155
Median family income: $ 51,736
Nearest Metro: Springfield (86 miles)
Champaign, il homes for sale
Champaign, Il Apartments for rent
Only slightly more expensive than Waukegan is Champaign, the next city on our list. With around 88,300 inhabitants in Champaign, then view one of the parks such as Kaufman Lake, explore the center of Champaign and visit the Urbana-Champaign campus of the University of Illinois.
#8: Oak Lawn
Median house price: $ 245,000
Average selling price per square foot: $ 173
Median family income: $ 69,352
Nearest Metro: Chicago (25 miles)
Oak lawn, il homes for sale
Oak Lawn, Il Apartments for rent
Then on our list of affordable places to live in Illinois is Oak Lawn. With a population of almost 58,400, Oak lawn is a great area to live in that is not nearly as big as the major metropolitan cities in Illinois. It is also conveniently located just southwest of Chicago. If you notice that you are moving to this city, you have to explore the Wolfe Wildlife Park where you will find paths and nature preserves and view the local restaurants.
#9: Normal
Median house price: $ 265,000
Average selling price per square foot: $ 121
Average rent for an apartment with 1 bedroom: $ 1,225
Median family income: $ 51,736
Nearest Metro: Peoria (38 miles)
Normal, Il -Huizen for sale
Normal, Il Apartments for rent
Consider normally adding to your list of cities to view if you are looking for an affordable place to live in Illinois. With 52,700 people who live in this affordable city, you can view the campus of Illinois State University and visit some of the historic places and parks in the city.
#10: Jolite
Median house price: $ 285,500
Average selling price per square foot: $ 177
Average rent for an apartment with 1 bedroom: $ 1,235
Median family income: $ 72,871
Nearest Metro: Chicago (48 miles)
Joliet, il homes for sale
Joliet, Il apartments for rent
The last city on our list of affordable places to live in Illinois is Joliet. The home base of around 150,400 inhabitants, Joliet is a great option to consider. Some of the attractions in Joliet include visiting the Joliet Area Historical Museumalong the Rialto Square Theaterand viewing historic route 66.
Methodology: All cities must have more than 50,000 inhabitants, according to the American census and have an average price for home sales below the average average price of home sales in Illinois. Median home sales price and average selling price per square foot of the Redfin Data Center in April 2025. Average rental details of Rent.com April 2025. Population and average data from family income from the United States Census Bureau.
