2023 Report: Cities in Illinois where Household Expenses are Highest and Lowest
How does living in the Land of Lincoln affect your wallet? doxo breaks down key insights about Illinois household expenses, with a close eye to how bills differ in towns and cities. On average, Illinois household expenses, doxo’s data reveals, are $2,121 per month.
doxo’s data also has infographics for 206 cities and towns across Illinois, breaking down localized bill pay data figures as well. The state-wide rankings for most and least expensive cities provide insight into cost of living in Illinois and how it changes according to location.
The data sheds light on Illinois’s cost of living through other metrics, too. For example, the “percent of household income” data point shows what percentage of household income local residents spend on bills. doxo’s data also indicates how much more or less expensive specific cities are than the national and state average.
Illinois residents pay $2,121 in household bills a month
The average Illinois household pays $2,121 a month for the 10 most common household bills. This figure takes into account the 10 most common household bills, which are: Mortgage; Rent; Auto Loan; Utilities (electric, gas, water & sewer, and waste & recycling); Auto Insurance; Cable & Internet & Phone, Health Insurance (consumer paid portion); Mobile Phone; Alarm & Security; and Life Insurance.
Illinois residents pay average household bill expenses: the state ranks 16th out of 50 states in terms of average monthly spending. This is 3.6% higher than the national average of $2,046.
Slightly more expensive than Illinois is Nevada, where residents pay $2,124 a month on average; slightly more affordable is Florida, where residents pay $2,112.
The most expensive state for household expenses is Hawaii, where residents pay $3,070 per month. The most affordable state, meanwhile, is West Virginia, where bills average $1,530 per month.
Absolute dollar amounts don’t tell the full story, however. The “percentage of household income” metric provides a more proportional look at bill spending in a particular location. Illinois households spend 35% of their income on household costs, which is a much lower share than many states where households pay more affordable bills. For example, Mississippi residents, though they live in the second most affordable state for bills, spend 41% of household income on them.
Annually, Illinois residents pay $123 billion in household bills. See more data about bill pay in Illinois by clicking on the infographic link below.
Data: doxoINSIGHTS’ bill pay infographic about Illinois
- Average Bill Cost per HH: $2,121 per month
- State Bill Pay Market Size: $123 billion
- doxoINSIGHTS State Rank: 16 out of 50
- Percent of HHI Used for Bills: 35%
- Difference from the National Average: 3.6% higher
Mortgage in Illinois is 24% higher than the national average
The average Illinois household pays $2,121 in the 10 most common household bills per month. Housing costs deviate from the national average in a surprising pattern: mortgage rates in Illinois are substantially higher per household than the national average, whereas rents are lower. The average mortgage is $1,636 per month in Illinois compared to the national average of $1,321: 24% higher than the national average. Rent, meanwhile, at $1,160 in Illinois compared to $1,191 nationally, is 3% lower than the national average.
Utilities is also a category where Illinois residents save compared to the national average. The average Illinois household spends $340 on their utility bill, compared to the national average of $351.
Health insurance is yet another area in which Illinois residents save compared to the national average. The average household in the state pays $114 a month for health insurance bills, compared to the national average of $120, making the costs 5% lower than the national average.
Note: Health Insurance and Life Insurance expenses do not account for payments made by employers on behalf of employees. These just include out-of-pocket expenses. Also, the state and national bill totals take into account the percentage of households that pay a bill.
Average Illinois Household Bill Spending
| Bill Category | Average Illinois Monthly Bill | National Average Monthly Bill | Illinois Percent +/- National Average ($2,046) |
| Mortgage | $1,636 | $1,321 | 24% higher |
| Rent | $1,160 | $1,191 | 3% lower |
| Auto Loan | $470 | $467 | 1% higher |
| Utilities | $340 | $351 | 3% lower |
| Auto Insurance | $187 | $207 | 10% lower |
| Cable & Internet | $116 | $118 | 2% lower |
| Health Insurance | $114 | $120 | 5% lower |
| Mobile Phone | $116 | $119 | 3% lower |
| Alarm & Security | $97 | $84 | 15% higher |
| Life Insurance | $88 | $89 | 1% lower |
| Total | $2,121 | $2,046 | 3.6% higher |
Hinsdale is the most expensive area for Illinois household bills
Residents of Hinsdale pay the highest household bills in the state of Illinois, at an average of $3,563 per month. Winnetka comes in second in the rankings, with residents paying an average of $3,535 on household expenses.
Residents of the top two areas, plus the third–Lake Forest–though they pay some of the most expensive bills in the state, spend a very low share of household income on bills compared to the state average: all spending 21% compared to the state average of 35%.
Also on the list of the most expensive areas to pay household bills in Illinois are Wilmette ($3,298 per month), Barrington ($3,259 per month), and Deerfield ($3,238 per month).
Access detailed infographics about each city or town by clicking on the hyperlinks in the “City” column in the tables below. You can also browse doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to see infographics about more than 4,200 cities and towns across all 50 states in the US.
10 Most Expensive Illinois Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (1-10 out of 206) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 1 | Hinsdale | $3,563 | 21% |
| 2 | Winnetka | $3,535 | 21% |
| 3 | Lake Forest | $3,319 | 21% |
| 4 | Wilmette | $3,298 | 25% |
| 5 | Barrington | $3,259 | 27% |
| 6 | Deerfield | $3,238 | 25% |
| 7 | Lake Zurich | $3,184 | 27% |
| 8 | Highland Park | $3,108 | 25% |
| 9 | Libertyville | $3,068 | 24% |
| 10 | Mokena | $2,923 | 33% |
*Household Bill Pay Expense averages shown above reflect the ten most common bills paid, including housing (rent/mortgage).
Centralia is the most affordable place in Illinois for household bills
Out of 206 cities and towns for which doxoINSIGHTS provides data, Centralia is the most affordable place in Illinois, with residents paying $1,262 on average for household bills. They spend an equal share of their income on household bills than the Illinois average, at 35%, though nowhere near as low as Hinsdale’s 21%.
West Frankfort is second most affordable area on the list, with residents paying an average of $1,292 on household bills.
Also on the list of most affordable cities and towns in Illinois are Olney ($1,313 a month), Mattoon ($1,327 a month), and Granite City ($1,376 a month).
10 Most Affordable Illinois Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (197-206 out of 206) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills |
| 197 | Carbondale | $1,451 | 54% |
| 198 | Galesburg | $1,448 | 44% |
| 199 | Charleston | $1,445 | 37% |
| 200 | East Saint Louis | $1,421 | 67% |
| 201 | Sterling | $1,390 | 30% |
| 202 | Granite City | $1,376 | 31% |
| 203 | Mattoon | $1,327 | 34% |
| 204 | Olney | $1,313 | 29% |
| 205 | West Frankfort | $1,292 | 39% |
| 206 | Centralia | $1,262 | 35% |
Some individuals may be deciding whether to move from a more expensive city to a less expensive one. doxoINSIGHTS can be a valuable resource for consumers seeking to make key decisions like this, allowing them to compare Illinois’s household expenses against average bills in different cities and states across the country. They can also use doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to compare average costs for over 900 towns and cities across the country.