How Much Is Rent in Chicago? (2026)

Updated November 2026. Rent figures reflect October 2026 estimates from Apartment List's November report.

Apartment List's November 2026 Rent Index estimates Chicago's median monthly rent at $1,858, 3.4% higher than a year earlier, with one-bedrooms at $1,723 and two-bedrooms at $1,875. If you're searching for a one-bedroom, use the one-bedroom median rather than the median for all apartment sizes. These bedroom-specific medians give you a starting point for comparing apartments in the neighborhoods you're considering.

Chicago rents have been above their year-earlier level for 64 consecutive months, according to Apartment List's estimates, and the October 2026 median was $49 below the July 2026 high, the highest reading in the city's series, and 12.0% above August 2022, when the U.S. median peaked. Below, see which way prices are moving, how availability has changed, whether the time of year matters, and where rent runs lower nearby.

How Much Is Rent in Chicago Right Now?

Median Monthly Rent, Chicago and U.S., October 2026

Source: Apartment List's November 2026 release; October 2026 rent estimates.

Chicago ranked 20th among the 100 largest U.S. cities for overall median rent in October 2026, according to Apartment List's estimates, at 34.2% above the national median and $55 below Miami's $1,913. It ranked 18th for one-bedroom and 20th for two-bedroom median rent. These figures estimate the median rent on new leases across the whole city, so compare the listings you're considering with the median for your bedroom count rather than expecting them to match it.

Apartment List's figure is an estimate of the median rent on new leases across Chicago's whole rental market, older buildings included. It is built from Census Bureau rent data and price changes on the same units in Apartment List's listings. A figure that averages the apartments advertised on one listing site describes that site's vacant inventory, and figures built that way tend to run higher, according to Apartment List's rent estimate methodology.

Are Rents in Chicago Going Up or Down Right Now?

Down from last month, up from January and a year earlier. Chicago's overall median rent was 1.1% lower in October 2026 than in September but 4.5% higher than in January 2026 and 3.4% higher than in October 2025, according to Apartment List's estimates. For scale, Apartment List's national median fell 0.3% in October and was 0.1% higher than a year earlier, while Illinois's median was 2.9% higher than a year earlier.

Each comparison ends in October 2026. Chicago's median fell from September 2025 through January 2026, then rose in each month from February through July before falling in each month from August through October, which is how it can be below September and above January at the same time. Apartment List's estimates show the same shape in 2025: rents rose 9.1% from January to July, then fell in each month from August through December.

Is Rent in Chicago Still Higher Than Last Year?

Yes, by 3.4%, or $60 a month. Chicago's overall median rent has been above the same month a year earlier for 64 consecutive months, since July 2021, in Apartment List's estimates. Over the twelve months in the tables below, Chicago's annual increase ranged from 3.4% to 7.3%, while the U.S. median ran below its year-earlier level in every month but October 2026, when it was 0.1% higher. Chicago's October increase was the 16th largest among the 100 largest U.S. cities, 61 of which had a higher median than a year earlier.

The 2026 months show the winter low, the climb to a new high, and the declines since. According to Apartment List's estimates, Chicago's overall median fell to $1,778 in January 2026, then rose in every month to $1,907 by July, the highest in the series, before falling in each month to $1,858 in October.

Chicago Median Monthly Rent and Year-over-Year Change, January to October 2026

Source: Apartment List rent estimates, overall median; November 2026 release, data through October 2026.

The two months before that were the end of the fall decline. Chicago's overall median fell from $1,792 in November to $1,780 in December 2025, according to Apartment List's estimates, while its year-over-year increase ran 7.2% to 7.3%, the largest of the twelve months.

Chicago Median Monthly Rent and Year-over-Year Change, November and December 2025

Source: Apartment List rent estimates, overall median; November 2026 release, data through October 2026.

Is Chicago Rent Still Near Its High?

Yes, though it has slipped $49 a month below it. Chicago's overall median rent peaked at $1,907 in July 2026 and stood at $1,858 in October 2026, 2.6% lower after three monthly declines, according to Apartment List's analysis of its monthly rent estimates. That is 12.0% above August 2022, when the U.S. median peaked; the U.S. median in October 2026 was 4.1% below its August 2022 level. Chicago's pre-pandemic high was $1,519 in July 2019. The median fell 14.1% between then and January 2021, passed its 2019 level again in August 2021, and was 22.4% above it by October 2026.

How Much Rental Availability Is There in Chicago?

A larger share of apartments was listed as available than a year ago, and the apartments that leased had been listed for more days than a year earlier. In October 2026, 6.40% of units in the Chicago apartment buildings covered by Apartment List's Vacancy Index were listed as available, up from 5.15% a year earlier and below the U.S. share of 6.96%. Apartments that leased in October 2026 had been listed for a median of 39.7 days, according to Apartment List's time-on-market data, up from 34.2 days in October 2025 and above the U.S. median of 35.7 days.

Listing Time and Available Share, Chicago and U.S., October 2025 and October 2026

Source: Apartment List's November 2026 release; Vacancy Index and time-on-market data through October 2026.

The available share fell to 4.81% in December 2025, the lowest in Apartment List's Chicago series, which begins in 2017, then rose in each of the seven months to July 2026 and has eased in each month since. Listing times ran below their 2019 to 2025 averages in every month from January through August 2026, and June's 18.7 days was the shortest in that series, which began in 2019, but September and October came in above their averages; over the year, Chicago's median listing time rose from 34.2 to 39.7 days while the U.S. median rose from 33.7 to 35.7 days. The two measures describe different things: the share is how much of the covered stock is listed, and listing time describes apartments that already leased. Ask about availability and the application timeline when you arrange a tour.

When Is the Best Time of Year to Rent in Chicago?

Fall and winter, if price matters most. Chicago's overall median rent ended January below the previous September in all nine fall-to-winter periods from 2017-18 through 2025-26, according to Apartment List's analysis of its monthly estimates. Eight of the declines ranged from 0.7% to 3.3%; the ninth, from September 2020 to January 2021, was 9.0%. The most recent decline was 1.4%, or about $25, from September 2025 to January 2026.

Do Apartments Rent Faster in Summer or Winter in Chicago?

Summer, by about three weeks. Apartment List's time-on-market data, averaged over 2019 to 2025, shows Chicago apartments that leased in June had been listed for a median of 23.1 days, against 43.3 days for apartments that leased in January. January's median exceeded June's in each of those seven years.

Chicago Seasonal Listing Times, 2019 to 2025

Source: Apartment List analysis of its time-on-market data, Chicago city, 2019 to 2025.

Those figures describe apartments that already leased. For a place you are considering now, ask about its available move-in date and application timeline.

Where Is Rent Cheaper Near Chicago?

Aurora, for one-bedroom apartments. Its one-bedroom median of $1,481 was the lowest among the nine Chicago metro area cities with published estimates in Apartment List's November 2026 release, $242 below Chicago's $1,723. Four of the eight other cities had a lower one-bedroom median than Chicago's. No city in either table had a lower overall median than Chicago's $1,858 or a lower two-bedroom median than Chicago's $1,875.

Chicago-Area Cities With a Lower One-Bedroom Median Than Chicago, October 2026

Source: Apartment List's November 2026 release; October 2026 rent estimates. Cities sorted by one-bedroom median; each row covers that city's own boundaries.

Schaumburg, Naperville, Wheeling, and Wheaton had higher one-bedroom medians than Chicago, from $1,769 to $1,958, according to Apartment List's November 2026 release. Seven of the eight cities had smaller one-year changes in their overall medians than Chicago's 3.4%: Downers Grove's 4.5% was larger, and Wheaton's median was lower than a year earlier.

Chicago and Chicago-Area Cities With a Higher One-Bedroom Median, October 2026

Source: Apartment List's November 2026 release; October 2026 rent estimates. Cities sorted by one-bedroom median; each row covers that city's own boundaries.

A higher citywide median doesn't necessarily mean higher rent for the apartment size you need, because the overall median pools all apartment sizes while the bedroom medians describe separate groups. Aurora shows the difference: its overall median of $1,967 was $109 above Chicago's $1,858, but its one-bedroom median was $242 lower.

Aurora, Naperville, Downers Grove, and Wheaton are west of the city; Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates, Arlington Heights, and Wheeling are northwest. Whether a lower rent works for you also depends on where you need to go regularly.

Find a Chicago Apartment That Fits Your Search

Chicago's median has fallen for three months since its July 2026 high and is still 3.4% above October 2025. Both are citywide figures; what you pay depends on the apartment, so use the $1,723 one-bedroom and $1,875 two-bedroom medians for Chicago from Apartment List's November 2026 report to set a price reference, then compare what apartments in that range actually offer.

For example, a Chicago two-bedroom listed at $2,100 would be $225 above the $1,875 two-bedroom median. Its condition, location, lease terms, required monthly charges, and included utilities can help you judge whether that difference is worthwhile.

If your moving date is flexible, include fall and winter listings in your search; if it is fixed, compare the apartments available when you need to move.

Build a shortlist of places that meet your needs and compare their total monthly costs side by side. That gives you a practical next step: deciding which apartments deserve a tour and what to ask before applying.

Explore apartments in Chicago

For help fitting rent into your broader budget, see our Chicago cost of living guide.

Sources and Methodology

Rent, vacancy, and listing-time figures on this page come from Apartment List's November 2026 release, with data as of October 2026. Earlier months are shown as revised in that release.

Data Sources and Calculation Methods Behind This Page

All three data series are published on Apartment List's data and rent estimates page.

Frequently Asked Questions About Chicago Rent

What Is the Average Rent in Chicago, IL?

Apartment List's November 2026 Rent Index puts Chicago's median rent at $1,858 across all apartment sizes, $1,723 for a one-bedroom, and $1,875 for a two-bedroom. Apartment List reports the median, the midpoint of new-lease rents signed in the month, so a figure another source labels an average rent is not directly comparable.

How Much Do You Need to Earn to Afford Rent in Chicago?

Using 30% of gross household income as a starting point for rent alone, a household would need about $74,300 a year for the $1,858 Chicago median rent from Apartment List's November 2026 report, about $68,900 for the $1,723 one-bedroom median, and about $75,000 for the $1,875 two-bedroom median. Utilities and other housing costs would need additional room in the budget. Apartment List's rent calculator applies the same 30% starting point to your own income and lets you adjust the share. For the broader budget, see our Chicago cost of living guide.

How Much Has Rent in Chicago Gone Up in the Past Year?

About $60 a month, or 3.4%. Apartment List's estimates put Chicago's overall median rent at $1,798 in October 2025 and $1,858 in October 2026.

Has Rent Stopped Rising in Chicago?

Chicago rents have fallen for three consecutive months through October 2026, but the city's median remains 3.4% higher than a year earlier, according to Apartment List's estimates. Chicago's overall median rent has been above the same month of the previous year for 64 consecutive months through October 2026. Within the year, the median rose 7.2% from January to July 2026, then fell in each of the three months through October, leaving it 4.5% above January.

How Much Has Rent in Chicago Gone Up Since 2020?

About 24%. Compared with March 2020, Chicago's median rent was 23.8% higher in October 2026, while the national median was 19.2% higher, according to Apartment List, in dollar terms without adjusting for inflation. The median rose $237 between October 2020 and October 2022 and a further $227 between October 2022 and October 2026, a period in which the U.S. median fell 2.7%.

What Is the Difference Between Chicago and Chicago Metro Rent?

The city figure covers the City of Chicago; the metro figure covers the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro area, which spans Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin and includes the city, Naperville, Elgin, and the surrounding suburbs and towns. In October 2026, according to Apartment List's estimates, Chicago's overall median of $1,858 was 7.5% above the metro's $1,729, its one-bedroom median was 13.5% above the metro's $1,518, and its two-bedroom median 7.7% above the metro's $1,741. Because the metro figure includes the city, it says nothing on its own about what any one surrounding city costs.