The short answer for 2026, based on Illinois's cost of living — plus what people actually earn.
The typical Illinois household earns about $82,000 — roughly 11% above the $73,500 a comfortable lifestyle costs here, so a median income stretches comfortably in Illinois.
| Lifestyle | Salary needed |
|---|---|
| Modest (single, essentials covered) | $49,000 |
| Comfortable (average-state lifestyle) | $73,500 |
| Very comfortable (room to save) | $98,000 |
Figures scale each benchmark by Illinois's BLISS cost score (0.98). They estimate the pre-tax salary needed to match that spending power — actual needs vary by city, household size, and lifestyle.
A salary is not what you keep. See your actual paycheck after Illinois and federal taxes.
Calculate my take-home pay ›To live the way $75,000 does in an average U.S. state, you need about $73,500 in Illinois, because its cost of living is 2% below the U.S. average (a BLISS score of 0.98). A modest single-person budget is closer to $49,000, and $98,000 buys a very comfortable lifestyle with room to save.
About $82,000 a year. That is what a typical Illinois household actually earns — useful to compare against the $73,500 a comfortable lifestyle costs in the state.
Illinois's cost of living is 2% below the U.S. average, ranking #26 of 50 for affordability (#1 = cheapest). On our overall Best Life Rank, which weighs cost against quality of life, Illinois sits at #45 of 50.