Chicago: what paychecks leave after rent
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area: 4,513,280 jobs, median pay of $54,720 across all occupations, and a $1,780 one-bedroom Fair Market Rent.
The typical worker in Chicago, earning the all-occupations median of $54,720, takes home about $3,846 a month after federal taxes. A one-bedroom at HUD's Fair Market Rent would take 46% of that. The median wage is 0.77× the income needed to keep that rent at 30% of gross pay, which falls short of the guideline.
Of the 10 jobs covered here, software developers have the most room (21% of take-home on a 1BR). Fast Food and Counter Workers are the most squeezed (71%).
Census figures add context: the ACS 2020–2024 5-year median gross rent paid by all renter households in the metro was $1,430 (±$6), and median household income was $90,887 (±$454).
Rent share of take-home pay, by job
All jobs in Chicago
| Job | Median pay | Take-home / mo | Hours of work | 1BR share | Left after 1BR | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developer | $134,380 | $8,593 | 27.6 h | 21% | $6,813 | 1.89× |
| Police Officer | $107,810 | $7,056 | 34.3 h | 25% | $5,276 | 1.51× |
| Electrician | $102,350 | $6,736 | 36.2 h | 26% | $4,956 | 1.44× |
| Registered Nurse | $100,490 | $6,627 | 36.8 h | 27% | $4,847 | 1.41× |
| Accountant or Auditor | $82,360 | $5,564 | 44.9 h | 32% | $3,784 | 1.16× |
| Elementary School Teacher | $78,390 | $5,331 | — h | 33% | $3,551 | 1.10× |
| Truck Driver | $62,300 | $4,353 | 59.4 h | 41% | $2,573 | 0.88× |
| Medical Assistant | $47,270 | $3,347 | 78.3 h | 53% | $1,567 | 0.66× |
| Retail Salesperson | $35,820 | $2,580 | 103.4 h | 69% | $800 | 0.50× |
| Fast Food Worker | $34,630 | $2,500 | 106.9 h | 71% | $720 | 0.49× |
HUD rent areas in this metro
| HUD FMR area | Population | 1BR | 2BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area | 8,357,645 | $1,780 | $2,011 |
| Gary, IN HUD Metro FMR Area | 689,119 | $1,176 | $1,429 |
| Kendall County, IL HUD Metro FMR Area | 137,675 | $1,790 | $2,341 |
| DeKalb County, IL HUD Metro FMR Area | 100,703 | $1,155 | $1,481 |
| Grundy County, IL HUD Metro FMR Area | 53,219 | $1,233 | $1,613 |
| Jasper County, IN HUD Metro FMR Area | 33,234 | $1,031 | $1,349 |
HUD splits this metro into several rent areas. Highlighted is the most populous one, which this site uses for every comparison.
Sources & method
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — metropolitan areas — vintage: May 2025 estimates. File:
oesm25ma.zip, retrieved 2026-10-06. - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD USER), Fair Market Rents, FY2027 — vintage: FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026). File:
FY27_FMRs.xlsx, retrieved 2026-10-05. - U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates: Median gross rent (B25064) — vintage: ACS 2020–2024 5-year. File:
acsdt5y2024-b25064.dat, retrieved 2026-10-05. - U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates: Median household income (B19013) — vintage: ACS 2020–2024 5-year. File:
acsdt5y2024-b19013.dat, retrieved 2026-10-05. - Internal Revenue Service, Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (tax year 2026 brackets, $16,100 standard deduction) and SSA's $184,500 wage base, used for the take-home estimate.
Take-home = annual wage − 2026 federal income tax (single filer, standard deduction) − Social Security and Medicare. State and local income taxes are not deducted. Wages are May 2025 estimates; rents are HUD Fair Market Rents FY2027 (effective Oct 1, 2026). Full details on the methodology page. Page data last rebuilt 2026-10-06.