A modest monthly budget goes a long way in the Midwest. Key findings from a GOBankingRates in-house research study indicate there are 26 Illinois cities where retirees can comfortably live on $3,000 a month and enjoy a high quality of life.
For this study, GOBankingRates sourced several key data points including each city’s retirement population ages 65 and over, median household income and total cost of living (calculating average mortgage and expenditure costs. We kept all cities with a livability score of 75 or higher and sorted the places accordingly to show those areas with the highest livability locations first.
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Keep reading to see which 26 Illinois cities seniors can retire in for $3,000 or less a month.
Do you have $500,000 in retirement savings? Consider retiring in one of these Illinois metros.
1. Jerome
- Population ages 65+ (%): 16.5%
- Median household income: $65,189
- Average home value: $149,006
- Total monthly cost of living: $2,695
- Livability: 92
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2. Princeton
- Population ages 65+ (%): 25.7%
- Median household income: $61,946
- Average home value: $161,197
- Total monthly cost of living: $2,720
- Livability: 81
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3. Dixon
- Population ages 65+ (%): 19.9%
- Median household income: $59,406
- Average home value: $165,520
- Total monthly cost of living: $2,728
- Livability: 81
4. Springfield
- Population ages 65+ (%): 19.9%
- Median household income: $66,064
- Average home value: $160,213
- Total monthly cost of living: $2,740
- Livability: 81
5. Urbana
- Population ages 65+ (%): 11.5%
- Median household income: $45,346
- Average home value: $201,222
- Total monthly cost of living: $2,956
- Livability: 81
6. Morrison
- Population ages 65+ (%): 21.7%
- Median household income: $69,089
- Average home value: $158,666
- Total monthly cost of living: $2,785
- Livability: 80
7. Belleville
- Population ages 65+ (%): 16.4%
- Median household income: $63,535
- Average home value: $153,419
- Total monthly cost of living: $2,687
- Livability: 79
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8. Roanoke
- Population ages 65+ (%): 21.7%
- Median household income: $82,063
- Average home value: $163,001
- Total monthly cost of living: $2,813
- Livability: 78
9. Jacksonville
- Population ages 65+ (%): 18.7%
- Median household income: $65,432
- Average home value: $131,409
- Total monthly cost of living: $2,564
- Livability: 77
10. Bethalto
- Population ages 65+ (%): 22.9%
- Median household income: $64,775
- Average home value: $190,766
- Total monthly cost of living: $2,868
- Livability: 77
11. Oglesby
- Population ages 65+ (%): 18.7%
- Median household income: $76,189
- Average home value: $161,903
- Total monthly cost of living: $2,734
- Livability: 76
12. Tuscola
- Population ages 65+ (%): 16.2%
- Median household income: $78,179
- Average home value: $171,887
- Total monthly cost of living: $2,758
- Livability: 76
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13. Park Forest
- Population ages 65+ (%): 15.8%
- Median household income: $61,072
- Average home value: $150,392
- Total monthly cost of living: $2,769
- Livability: 76
14. Nashville
- Population ages 65+ (%): 22.4%
- Median household income: $63,170
- Average home value: $168,758
- Total monthly cost of living: $2,776
- Livability: 76
15. Fairbury
- Population ages 65+ (%): 20.3%
- Median household income: $70,962
- Average home value: $182,972
- Total monthly cost of living: $2,836
- Livability: 76
16. Fairview Heights
- Population ages 65+ (%): 19.3%
- Median household income: $80,930
- Average home value: $187,680
- Total monthly cost of living: $2,864
- Livability: 76
17. Ottawa
- Population ages 65+ (%): 16.4%
- Median household income: $71,413
- Average home value: $200,382
- Total monthly cost of living: $2,956
- Livability: 76
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18. Harrisburg
- Population ages 65+ (%): 20.6%
- Median household income: $43,415
- Average home value: $87,258
- Total monthly cost of living: $2,372
- Livability: 75
19. West Peoria
- Population ages 65+ (%): 23.3%
- Median household income: $66,098
- Average home value: $108,101
- Total monthly cost of living: $2,459
- Livability: 75
20. Dupo
- Population ages 65+ (%): 14.8%
- Median household income: $61,644
- Average home value: $122,040
- Total monthly cost of living: $2,487
- Livability: 75
21. Moline
- Population ages 65+ (%): 18.7%
- Median household income: $67,701
- Average home value: $143,577
- Total monthly cost of living: $2,525
- Livability: 75
22. Pekin
- Population ages 65+ (%): 19.4%
- Median household income: $60,790
- Average home value: $134,055
- Total monthly cost of living: $2,617
- Livability: 75
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23. Fulton
- Population ages 65+ (%): 22.3%
- Median household income: $45,581
- Average home value: $152,294
- Total monthly cost of living: $2,705
- Livability: 75
24. East Peoria
- Population ages 65+ (%): 20.7%
- Median household income: $71,833
- Average home value: $170,820
- Total monthly cost of living: $2,820
- Livability: 75
25. Thornton
- Population ages 65+ (%): 19.2%
- Median household income: $59,647
- Average home value: $170,803
- Total monthly cost of living: $2,836
- Livability: 75
26. Machesney Park
- Population ages 65+ (%): 17.4%
- Median household income: $75,489
- Average home value: $195,531
- Total monthly cost of living: $2,919
- Livability: 75
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Photo disclaimer: Photos are for illustrative purposes only. In many cases, the closest major city outside of the city/county mentioned in the article was used.
Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed cities in Illinois to find the best cities to retire on $3,000 a month. Using the 2024 5-Year U.S. Census ACS various data was sourced including total population, population ages 65 and over, total households, and median household income. Cost of living indexes were sourced from Sperling’s BestPlaces and using the national average expenditure costs for retired households, as sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey for retired consumer units, the average expenditure costs for each city can be calculated. The average single family home value was sourced from Zillow Home Value Index for December 2025. Assuming a 10% down payment and using the national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate, as sourced from the Federal Reserve Economic Data, the average mortgage can be calculated. Using the average mortgage and expenditure costs, the total cost of living can be calculated for each city. Places with a total monthly cost of living over $3,000 were removed for this study. The livability index was sourced from AreaVibes and the places were sorted to show the highest livability locations first, representing the places with the highest quality of life. All data is up to date as of Feb. 4, 2026.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 26 Best Illinois Cities To Retire on $3,000 a Month
