Average Rent in Chicago, IL (2026)

Typical asking rent in Chicago is $1,883. Across the 55 ZIP codes with data it runs from $1,373 to $3,044, so which side of town you buy on matters as much as the city average. Data as of July 2026.

Median rent
$1,883
Average rent
$2,049
Lowest ZIP
$1,373
Highest ZIP
$3,044

Rent by ZIP code in Chicago

ZIP codeCountyTypical rentvs city median
60601Cook County$3,044+62%
60610Cook County$3,000+59%
60607Cook County$2,992+59%
60654Cook County$2,975+58%
60611Cook County$2,833+50%
60614Cook County$2,826+50%
60606Cook County$2,789+48%
60642Cook County$2,769+47%
60605Cook County$2,735+45%
60661Cook County$2,640+40%
60602Cook County$2,574+37%
60622Cook County$2,560+36%
60657Cook County$2,559+36%
60603Cook County$2,464+31%
60612Cook County$2,410+28%
60613Cook County$2,393+27%
60647Cook County$2,371+26%
60652Cook County$2,353+25%
60618Cook County$2,285+21%
60640Cook County$2,026+8%
60646Cook County$2,005+6%
60643Cook County$1,997+6%
60653Cook County$1,982+5%
60631Cook County$1,944+3%
60625Cook County$1,912+2%
60655Cook County$1,895+1%
60645Cook County$1,8900%
60660Cook County$1,8830%
60608Cook County$1,864-1%
60616Cook County$1,858-1%
60630Cook County$1,854-2%
60651Cook County$1,847-2%
60615Cook County$1,831-3%
60634Cook County$1,821-3%
60637Cook County$1,811-4%
60641Cook County$1,800-4%
60659Cook County$1,799-4%
60624Cook County$1,798-5%
60626Cook County$1,752-7%
60639Cook County$1,726-8%
60628Cook County$1,723-8%
60638Cook County$1,624-14%
60656Cook County$1,619-14%
60609Cook County$1,585-16%
60621Cook County$1,584-16%
60632Cook County$1,567-17%
60623Cook County$1,550-18%
60633Cook County$1,536-18%
60644Cook County$1,523-19%
60620Cook County$1,481-21%
60619Cook County$1,450-23%
60617Cook County$1,435-24%
60629Cook County$1,405-25%
60649Cook County$1,395-26%
60636Cook County$1,373-27%

Rent by bedroom count in Chicago

Zillow's index above blends every unit size into one number. For a bedroom level view, these are HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rents for Cook County. They include utilities and sit near the 40th percentile of the market, so treat them as the low side of what a typical unit lists for. Cook County uses Small Area FMRs, and the two bedroom figure runs from $1,500 to $3,020 depending on the Chicago ZIP code.

Unit sizeFY2027 Fair Market RentChange from FY2026
Studio$1,678+13.4%
1 bedroom$1,780+12.6%
2 bedroom$2,011+12.9%
3 bedroom$2,586+12.7%
4 bedroom$2,954+11.3%

Source: HUD Fair Market Rents. Updates when HUD publishes a new fiscal year.

Is rent going up or down in Chicago?

Typical rent across Cook County is $2,272 as of August 2026. That is up 5.5% from a year earlier and up 35.3% over five years.

YearTypical rent, Cook CountyChange
2021$1,740+9.5%
2022$1,875+7.7%
2023$1,971+5.1%
2024$2,070+5.0%
2025$2,188+5.7%
2026 (through August)$2,272+3.8%

Zillow Observed Rent Index for the county, all home types, last published month of each year. Each row is compared with the end of the year before it.

Chicago rent questions

What is the average rent in Chicago, IL?
Typical asking rent in Chicago is $1,883 a month as of July 2026, across 55 ZIP codes. By ZIP code it runs from $1,373 to $3,044.
How much is rent for a 2 bedroom in Chicago?
HUD's FY2027 Fair Market Rent for a two bedroom in Cook County is $2,011 a month including utilities. A one bedroom is $1,780 and a three bedroom is $2,586. Fair Market Rent is set near the 40th percentile, so a typical unit lists somewhat higher.
Is rent going up or down in Chicago?
Rent is rising. Typical rent in Cook County is $2,272 as of August 2026, up 5.5% from a year earlier.
What is the cheapest ZIP code to rent in Chicago?
ZIP 60636 has the lowest typical asking rent in Chicago at $1,373 a month, compared with $1,883 for the city overall.
How much income do you need to rent in Chicago?
Most landlords look for gross income of about three times the rent. At the typical Chicago rent of $1,883, that is about $5,649 a month, or $67,788 a year. This is a common screening rule of thumb, and individual landlords set their own.

How to use these numbers

These are Zillow Observed Rent Index values, a smoothed measure of typical asking rent for single family homes, condos, and apartments in each ZIP code. They describe what units are listed for, not what any specific unit will get. Condition, bedroom count, and the exact block all move the number.

If you are underwriting a purchase, use the ZIP figure rather than the city median, and then verify against live listings for the same bedroom count before you commit. Chicago sits in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI metro area.

Other Illinois cities

Would a rental in Chicago cash flow?

Start the analyzer with the Chicago median rent of $1,883 and add a real purchase price to see cash flow, cap rate, and cash-on-cash return.