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

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, 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 .

#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

#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

#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

#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

#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

#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

#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

#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

#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

#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

#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

#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

#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

#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

#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

#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

#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

#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

#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

#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