Chicago, Illinois Housing Market Prices

Chicago Home Prices and Rent at a Glance

The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.

  • Median home price 75% above the Illinois median
    $262,028
  • Median rent 12% above the Illinois median
    $1,430

Housing Market Overview

Metric Chicago Illinois Avg US Average
Median Home Price $262,028 $149,936 $248,835
Price Trend (Annual %) 5.6% 2.5% 7.5%
Median Gross Rent $1,430 $1,274 $1,407
Rent Trend (Annual %) 4.8% 4.1% 5.1%
Household Income Trend (Annual %) — — —

The median home price in Chicago is about 75% higher than in Illinois. Rent is about 12% higher than the Illinois average.

Median Home and Rent Price Trends

Median Home Prices, 2015-2024

Chicago
Illinois
United States
Year Chicago Illinois United States

Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024

Chicago
Illinois
United States
Year Chicago Illinois United States

Both home prices and rent are rising in Chicago, up about 5.6% and 4.8% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.

Median rent in Chicago rose about 48.9% between 2015 and 2024, from $960 to $1,430. Over the same span, rent in Illinois rose about 40.4%.

Affordability

On average, housing unit costs 3.4 yearly household incomes in Chicago.

Buying the median-priced home in Chicago costs roughly 15.3 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a moderate price-to-rent ratio, where buying and renting are often similarly cost-effective in Chicago. The price-to-rent ratio in Illinois is about 9.8.

Metric Chicago Illinois Avg US Average
Median Home Price $262,028 $149,936 $248,835
Median Household Income $78,169 $84,042 $80,455
Price-to-Income Ratio 3.4 1.8 3.1

Home Prices vs Income Over Time

Home Prices
Household Income

Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Chicago rose about 57.4%, while median household income rose about 63.0% between 2009 and 2025 — income grew faster than the home price.

Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)

Compare income and housing cost trends.

Household Income Growth %
Housing Cost Growth %
Year Income Growth % Housing Cost Growth % Gap (Cost - Income)

Occupancy & Tenure

Metric Chicago Illinois Avg US Average
Homeownership Rate 42.2% 61.9% 58.5%
Rental Rate 48.6% 30.4% 31.2%
Vacancy Rate 9.1% 7.7% 10.2%
Median Tenure (years) 13.0 16.0 15.0
Median Year Moved In 2013 2010 2011

Chicago has a homeownership rate of 42.2%, lower than the Illinois average of 61.9%. Its housing vacancy rate is 9.1%, compared with 7.7% in Illinois.

Housing Stock

Metric Chicago Illinois Avg US Average
Average Household Size 2.32 people 2.46 people 2.53 people
Median Structure Built Year 1957 1969 1978
Median Number of Rooms 4.7 5.6 5.5

The typical housing unit in Chicago was built around 1957. On average, 2.3 people live in a home with about 4.7 rooms, staying for about 13.0 years on average.

Chicago, IL Housing Compared With Nearby Cities

How Chicago, IL compares with the 2 cities closest to it.

Area Population Median home price Median rent Homeownership
Chicago, IL 2,650,794 $262,028 #3/3 $1,430 #1/3 46.5% #3/3
Cicero, IL 82,796 $316,248 $1,154 54.6%
Berwyn, IL 55,595 $413,871 $1,214 61.1%

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the housing market in Chicago, Illinois.

What is the median home price in Chicago, Illinois?

The median home price in Chicago, Illinois is $262,028, higher than the Illinois average of $149,936.

What is the average home price in Chicago, Illinois?

The typical home price in Chicago, Illinois, reported as the median sale price, is $262,028. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.

What is the median rent in Chicago, Illinois?

The median gross rent in Chicago, Illinois is $1,430 per month, higher than the Illinois average of $1,274.

What was the median gross rent in Chicago in 2020?

In 2020, the median gross rent in Chicago, Illinois was $1,146 per month.

What is the price-to-rent ratio in Chicago, Illinois?

The price-to-rent ratio in Chicago, Illinois is about 15.3, meaning it would take roughly 15.3 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a moderate price-to-rent ratio, where buying and renting are often similarly cost-effective in Chicago.

Are home prices or rent rising faster in Chicago, Illinois?

Both home prices and rent are rising in Chicago, up about 5.6% and 4.8% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.

What is the homeownership rate in Chicago, Illinois?

42.2% of households in Chicago, Illinois own their home, lower than the Illinois average of 61.9%.

What is the vacancy rate in Chicago, Illinois?

The housing vacancy rate in Chicago, Illinois is 9.1%, higher than the Illinois average of 7.7%.

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