To take home four times the typical rent, a full-time job in Illinois needs to pay from $19.88 an hour in Scott County to $66.73 in DuPage County, before taxes. The middle county is Bureau County at $22.27.
| County | Pay needed | Studio rent |
|---|---|---|
| Adams County | $22.27/hr | $720/mo |
| Alexander County | $22.60/hr | $730/mo |
| Bond County | $22.60/hr | $730/mo |
| Boone County | $31.22/hr | $990/mo |
| Brown County | $23.26/hr | $750/mo |
| Bureau County | $22.27/hr | $720/mo |
| Calhoun County | $23.59/hr | $760/mo |
| Carroll County | $23.59/hr | $760/mo |
| Cass County | $21.94/hr | $710/mo |
| Champaign County | $28.23/hr | $900/mo |
| Christian County | $20.28/hr | $660/mo |
| Clark County | $21.94/hr | $710/mo |
| Clay County | $19.95/hr | $650/mo |
| Clinton County | $27.57/hr | $880/mo |
| Coles County | $20.44/hr | $665/mo |
| Cook County | $55.93/hr | $1,650/mo |
| Crawford County | $20.11/hr | $655/mo |
| Cumberland County | $21.60/hr | $700/mo |
| De Witt County | $23.59/hr | $760/mo |
| DeKalb County | $33.87/hr | $1,070/mo |
| Douglas County | $20.11/hr | $655/mo |
| DuPage County | $66.73/hr | $1,930/mo |
| Edgar County | $20.28/hr | $660/mo |
| Edwards County | $20.61/hr | $670/mo |
| Effingham County | $23.59/hr | $760/mo |
| Fayette County | $22.60/hr | $730/mo |
| Ford County | $26.41/hr | $845/mo |
| Franklin County | $20.61/hr | $670/mo |
| Fulton County | $20.61/hr | $670/mo |
| Gallatin County | $19.95/hr | $650/mo |
| Greene County | $21.44/hr | $695/mo |
| Grundy County | $37.00/hr | $1,155/mo |
| Hamilton County | $21.27/hr | $690/mo |
| Hancock County | $20.61/hr | $670/mo |
| Hardin County | $20.61/hr | $670/mo |
| Henderson County | $20.94/hr | $680/mo |
| Henry County | $22.93/hr | $740/mo |
| Iroquois County | $21.94/hr | $710/mo |
| Jackson County | $20.77/hr | $675/mo |
| Jasper County | $20.11/hr | $655/mo |
| Jefferson County | $21.94/hr | $710/mo |
| Jersey County | $24.92/hr | $800/mo |
| Jo Daviess County | $21.11/hr | $685/mo |
| Johnson County | $20.94/hr | $680/mo |
| Kane County | $59.37/hr | $1,740/mo |
| Kankakee County | $28.73/hr | $915/mo |
| Kendall County | $55.16/hr | $1,630/mo |
| Knox County | $22.60/hr | $730/mo |
| La Salle County | $23.76/hr | $765/mo |
| Lake County | $65.55/hr | $1,900/mo |
| Lawrence County | $20.11/hr | $655/mo |
| Lee County | $21.60/hr | $700/mo |
| Livingston County | $21.60/hr | $700/mo |
| Logan County | $22.93/hr | $740/mo |
| Macon County | $25.91/hr | $830/mo |
| Macoupin County | $23.10/hr | $745/mo |
| Madison County | $29.23/hr | $930/mo |
| Marion County | $21.60/hr | $700/mo |
| Marshall County | $23.59/hr | $760/mo |
| Mason County | $20.94/hr | $680/mo |
| Massac County | $22.27/hr | $720/mo |
| McDonough County | $20.28/hr | $660/mo |
| McHenry County | $54.40/hr | $1,610/mo |
| McLean County | $28.57/hr | $910/mo |
| Menard County | $24.75/hr | $795/mo |
| Mercer County | $22.93/hr | $740/mo |
| Monroe County | $32.71/hr | $1,035/mo |
| Montgomery County | $22.76/hr | $735/mo |
| Morgan County | $22.60/hr | $730/mo |
| Moultrie County | $23.59/hr | $760/mo |
| Ogle County | $23.59/hr | $760/mo |
| Peoria County | $28.90/hr | $920/mo |
| Perry County | $21.11/hr | $685/mo |
| Piatt County | $31.55/hr | $1,000/mo |
| Pike County | $20.61/hr | $670/mo |
| Pope County | $23.69/hr | $763/mo |
| Pulaski County | $20.77/hr | $675/mo |
| Putnam County | $20.94/hr | $680/mo |
| Randolph County | $21.27/hr | $690/mo |
| Richland County | $19.95/hr | $650/mo |
| Rock Island County | $25.91/hr | $830/mo |
| Saline County | $20.94/hr | $680/mo |
| Sangamon County | $27.24/hr | $870/mo |
| Schuyler County | $19.95/hr | $650/mo |
| Scott County | $19.88/hr | $648/mo |
| Shelby County | $20.94/hr | $680/mo |
| St. Clair County | $31.05/hr | $985/mo |
| Stark County | $21.94/hr | $710/mo |
| Stephenson County | $20.44/hr | $665/mo |
| Tazewell County | $27.74/hr | $885/mo |
| Union County | $20.44/hr | $665/mo |
| Vermilion County | $23.92/hr | $770/mo |
| Wabash County | $21.31/hr | $691/mo |
| Warren County | $21.60/hr | $700/mo |
| Washington County | $21.44/hr | $695/mo |
| Wayne County | $20.28/hr | $660/mo |
| White County | $20.28/hr | $660/mo |
| Whiteside County | $22.93/hr | $740/mo |
| Will County | $55.16/hr | $1,630/mo |
| Williamson County | $20.94/hr | $680/mo |
| Winnebago County | $25.58/hr | $820/mo |
| Woodford County | $29.56/hr | $940/mo |
The Four Times Rent standard: a month of full-time work (160 hours) should take home at least four times the typical rent on a studio apartment in the county where the work is done. Rents: HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local income taxes plus Social Security and Medicare, for a single filer. Why four times rent?