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Living in Illinois · 2026

Is $68,000 enough to live in Illinois?

Single adult · IL · 2026 tax brackets · Real cost-of-living data

Statewide verdict:Very comfortable

Monthly take-home

$4,427

Avg monthly expenses

$2,430

Avg monthly surplus

$1,997

Savings potential

~45%

After-tax take-home in Illinois

Gross salary$68,000
Federal income tax− $6,314
State income tax− $3,366
Social Security− $4,216
Medicare− $986
Annual take-home$53,118
Effective tax rate21.89%

How $68,000 feels in Illinois cities

Rent: HUD FMR 2026 · Food: USDA Low-Cost Plan × COL · Transport/Utilities/Healthcare: BLS CES × COL

Chicago

COL index: 1.38× national avg

Comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$2,000
Food
$519
Transport
$241
Utilities
$228
Healthcare
$276
Total: $3,264/mo
Surplus: $1,163/mo
Rent burden: 45.2% — High (35–50%)
Full Chicago analysis →

Aurora

COL index: 1.08× national avg

Very comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,400
Food
$493
Transport
$189
Utilities
$178
Healthcare
$216
Total: $2,476/mo
Surplus: $1,951/mo
Rent burden: 31.6% — Manageable (25–35%)
Full Aurora analysis →

Naperville

COL index: 1.18× national avg

Very comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,600
Food
$528
Transport
$207
Utilities
$195
Healthcare
$236
Total: $2,766/mo
Surplus: $1,661/mo
Rent burden: 36.1% — High (35–50%)
Full Naperville analysis →

Joliet

COL index: 1.00× national avg

Very comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,250
Food
$462
Transport
$175
Utilities
$165
Healthcare
$200
Total: $2,252/mo
Surplus: $2,175/mo
Rent burden: 28.2% — Manageable (25–35%)
Full Joliet analysis →

Rockford

COL index: 0.91× national avg

Very comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,050
Food
$409
Transport
$159
Utilities
$150
Healthcare
$182
Total: $1,950/mo
Surplus: $2,477/mo
Rent burden: 23.7% — Affordable (< 25%)
Full Rockford analysis →

Springfield

COL index: 0.88× national avg

Very comfortable
Rent (1BR)
$1,000
Food
$396
Transport
$154
Utilities
$145
Healthcare
$176
Total: $1,871/mo
Surplus: $2,556/mo
Rent burden: 22.6% — Affordable (< 25%)
Full Springfield analysis →

50 / 30 / 20 Budget Planner

Based on your monthly take-home of $4,427 ($53,124/yr)

Needs 50%Wants 30%Savings 20%
Needs50%

$2,214

per month

  • ›Rent / mortgage
  • ›Groceries
  • ›Utilities
  • ›Insurance
  • ›Minimum debt payments
  • ›Transportation
Wants30%

$1,328

per month

  • ›Dining out
  • ›Streaming services
  • ›Gym
  • ›Hobbies
  • ›Travel
  • ›Shopping
Savings20%

$885

per month

  • ›Emergency fund
  • ›401(k) / IRA
  • ›Investments
  • ›Down payment fund
  • ›Debt payoff (extra)

Needs / year

$26,562

Wants / year

$15,937

Savings / year

$10,625

Salary Intelligence

Below comfortable level in Chicago

Rent would consume 45% of take-home income — above the 35% stress threshold. A higher salary or lower-cost housing is needed for financial stability in this city.

Lifestyle score: 4.9/10 (Fair)

Lifestyle Assessment

A $68,000 salary comfortably supports a fair single lifestyle in Chicago, Illinois, with approximately $1,163/month (~26% of take-home) available for savings — meeting or exceeding the recommended 20% savings rate.

Purchasing Power

Chicago's above-average cost of living (index: 1.38) means $68,000 provides the purchasing power of roughly $49,275 in an average-cost US city, or $58,145 in Austin. Moving to a lower-cost state could effectively increase your take-home by thousands.

State & National Benchmark

$68,000 is 49% above the Illinois individual median ($45,700) and 21% above the US national median of $56,000.

State individual median

$45,700

+49%

State household median

$78,433

-13%

Tax reduction strategies

Maximize 401(k) Contributions — Up to $5,170 in federal tax (22% bracket)
401(k) Age 50+ Catch-Up Contribution — Up to $2,775 additional tax savings (37% bracket)

$68,000 vs. Illinois income benchmarks

Individual median (Illinois)

$45,700

+49% vs. this salary

Household median (Illinois)

$78,433

-13% vs. this salary

Source: US Census Bureau ACS 2023

Related salary insights

Explore other salary levels in Illinois

$40,000$60,000$100,000$150,000$200,000$300,000
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Reviewed by

Finance Editor

CPA, 10+ years in personal finance

Data Sources

Data updated monthly using government datasets.