Is $78,000 a good salary in Illinois?

$78,000 in Illinois provides a monthly take-home of approximately $4,972 after taxes. Across major Illinois cities, this salary is rated very comfortable, with an average monthly surplus of $2,542.

What is the cost of living on $78,000 in Illinois?

The average monthly living cost across major Illinois cities is approximately $2,430 for a single adult (rent, food, transport, utilities, healthcare). On $78,000 take-home pay of $4,972/month, you would have roughly $2,542/month remaining.

Living in Illinois · 2026

Is $78,000 enough to live in Illinois?

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

Statewide verdict:Very comfortable

Monthly take-home

$4,972

Avg monthly expenses

$2,430

Avg monthly surplus

$2,542

Savings potential

~51%

After-tax take-home in Illinois

Gross salary$78,000

Federal income tax− $8,514

State income tax− $3,861

Social Security− $4,836

Medicare− $1,131

Annual take-home$59,658

Effective tax rate23.52%

How $78,000 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

Very comfortable

Rent (1BR)

$2,000

Food

$519

Transport

$241

Utilities

$228

Healthcare

$276

Total: $3,264/mo

Surplus: $1,708/mo

Rent burden: 40.2% — 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: $2,496/mo

Rent burden: 28.2% — 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: $2,206/mo

Rent burden: 32.2% — Manageable (25–35%)

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: $2,720/mo

Rent burden: 25.1% — 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: $3,022/mo

Rent burden: 21.1% — 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: $3,101/mo

Rent burden: 20.1% — Affordable (< 25%)

Full Springfield analysis →

50 / 30 / 20 Budget Planner

Based on your monthly take-home of $4,972 ($59,664/yr)

Needs 50%Wants 30%Savings 20%

Needs50%

$2,486

per month

›Rent / mortgage
›Groceries
›Utilities
›Insurance
›Minimum debt payments
›Transportation

Wants30%

$1,492

per month

›Dining out
›Streaming services
›Gym
›Hobbies
›Travel
›Shopping

Savings20%

$994

per month

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

Needs / year

$29,832

Wants / year

$17,899

Savings / year

$11,933

Salary Intelligence

Below comfortable level in Chicago

Rent would consume 40% 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: 5.6/10 (Good)

Lifestyle Assessment

A $78,000 salary comfortably supports a good single lifestyle in Chicago, Illinois, with approximately $1,708/month (~34% 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 $78,000 provides the purchasing power of roughly $56,522 in an average-cost US city, or $66,696 in Austin. Moving to a lower-cost state could effectively increase your take-home by thousands.

State & National Benchmark

$78,000 is 71% above the Illinois individual median of $45,700 and 39% above the US national individual median of $56,000. This is a top-quartile income in this state.

State individual median

$45,700

+71%

State household median

$78,433

-1%

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)

$78,000 vs. Illinois income benchmarks

Individual median (Illinois)

$45,700

+71% vs. this salary

Household median (Illinois)

$78,433

-1% 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

Reviewed by

Finance Editor

CPA, 10+ years in personal finance

Data Sources

•Tax calculations: IRS federal tax tables
•Rent data: HUD Fair Market Rents
•Cost-of-living index: C2ER / ACCRA Cost of Living Index

Data updated monthly using government datasets.