Home ownership is fundamental to the American dream. It offers wealth, security, community, and countless other benefits. Yet for many Illinois residents, the dream feels increasingly out of reach—even as incomes rise and mortgage rates fall. Near-record prices have made homes hard to come by and often even harder to afford, leaving buyers and sellers stuck and younger generations priced out.

But affordable pockets still exist. In cities across the state, residents can comfortably spend around 30% of their income or less on housing, which is widely considered the affordable threshold.

To find out where these cities are, Redfin Real Estate ranked the most affordable cities in Illinois, based on their local payment to income ratios. All data is an average for the January-October 2025 period. To see the most affordable cities in the country, read this recent Redfin article.

#1. Bolingbrook, Illinois
– Payment to income ratio: 28.2%
– Median sale price: $395,949
– Median household income: $107,552
– Income needed to buy: $101,111
– Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,528
– See homes for sale in Bolingbrook on Redfin.com

#2. Joliet, Illinois
– Payment to income ratio: 29.2%
– Median sale price: $335,185
– Median household income: $88,026
– Income needed to buy: $85,594
– Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,140
– See homes for sale in Joliet on Redfin.com

#3. Tinley Park, Illinois
– Payment to income ratio: 29.5%
– Median sale price: $399,481
– Median household income: $103,819
– Income needed to buy: $102,013
– Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,550
– See homes for sale in Tinley Park on Redfin.com

#4. Oak Lawn, Illinois
– Payment to income ratio: 30.9%
– Median sale price: $332,535
– Median household income: $82,493
– Income needed to buy: $84,917
– Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,123
– See homes for sale in Oak Lawn on Redfin.com

#5. Aurora, Illinois
– Payment to income ratio: 31.0%
– Median sale price: $364,309
– Median household income: $90,109
– Income needed to buy: $93,031
– Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,326
– See homes for sale in Aurora on Redfin.com

#6. Cicero, Illinois
– Payment to income ratio: 31.5%
– Median sale price: $282,091
– Median household income: $68,548
– Income needed to buy: $72,036
– Median monthly mortgage payment: $1,801
– See homes for sale in Cicero on Redfin.com

#7. Hoffman Estates, Illinois
– Payment to income ratio: 32.0%
– Median sale price: $458,399
– Median household income: $109,683
– Income needed to buy: $117,058
– Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,926
– See homes for sale in Hoffman Estates on Redfin.com

#8. Elgin, Illinois
– Payment to income ratio: 32.4%
– Median sale price: $373,669
– Median household income: $88,316
– Income needed to buy: $95,421
– Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,386
– See homes for sale in Elgin on Redfin.com

#9. Des Plaines, Illinois
– Payment to income ratio: 33.3%
– Median sale price: $409,908
– Median household income: $94,303
– Income needed to buy: $104,675
– Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,617
– See homes for sale in Des Plaines on Redfin.com

#10. Berwyn, Illinois
– Payment to income ratio: 35.5%
– Median sale price: $349,119
– Median household income: $75,235
– Income needed to buy: $89,152
– Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,229
– See homes for sale in Berwyn on Redfin.com

#11. Wheaton, Illinois
– Payment to income ratio: 35.6%
– Median sale price: $556,345
– Median household income: $119,566
– Income needed to buy: $142,070
– Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,552
– See homes for sale in Wheaton on Redfin.com

#12. Orland Park, Illinois
– Payment to income ratio: 35.7%
– Median sale price: $460,616
– Median household income: $98,979
– Income needed to buy: $117,624
– Median monthly mortgage payment: $2,941
– See homes for sale in Orland Park on Redfin.com

#13. Mount Prospect, Illinois
– Payment to income ratio: 35.8%
– Median sale price: $485,947
– Median household income: $103,911
– Income needed to buy: $124,093
– Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,102
– See homes for sale in Mount Prospect on Redfin.com

#14. Downers Grove, Illinois
– Payment to income ratio: 36.1%
– Median sale price: $563,923
– Median household income: $119,649
– Income needed to buy: $144,005
– Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,600
– See homes for sale in Downers Grove on Redfin.com

#15. Naperville, Illinois
– Payment to income ratio: 36.3%
– Median sale price: $715,793
– Median household income: $150,937
– Income needed to buy: $182,787
– Median monthly mortgage payment: $4,570
– See homes for sale in Naperville on Redfin.com

#16. Arlington Heights, Illinois
– Payment to income ratio: 36.7%
– Median sale price: $567,560
– Median household income: $118,532
– Income needed to buy: $144,934
– Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,623
– See homes for sale in Arlington Heights on Redfin.com

#17. Palatine, Illinois
– Payment to income ratio: 38.1%
– Median sale price: $477,661
– Median household income: $95,950
– Income needed to buy: $121,977
– Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,049
– See homes for sale in Palatine on Redfin.com

#18. Schaumburg, Illinois
– Payment to income ratio: 38.6%
– Median sale price: $476,515
– Median household income: $94,690
– Income needed to buy: $121,684
– Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,042
– See homes for sale in Schaumburg on Redfin.com

#19. Skokie, Illinois
– Payment to income ratio: 41.5%
– Median sale price: $506,279
– Median household income: $93,550
– Income needed to buy: $129,285
– Median monthly mortgage payment: $3,232
– See homes for sale in Skokie on Redfin.com

#20. Oak Park, Illinois
– Payment to income ratio: 46.0%
– Median sale price: $648,965
– Median household income: $108,026
– Income needed to buy: $165,722
– Median monthly mortgage payment: $4,143
– See homes for sale in Oak Park on Redfin.com

This story was produced by Redfin Real Estate and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.