States › Illinois › Braidwood

Is Braidwood, IL expensive to live in?

CheapRent takes 16 cents of every $1 people earn here.
🏠 Rent per month (2026)$1,15534% lower than U.S. average
💵 Families earn per year (2026)$88,655about $7,388/month · 2% higher than U.S. average
🔑 House price$202,50039% lower than U.S. average

Rent is lower than in 79% of U.S. cities. A typical house costs under 3 years of household income, which is easy by U.S. standards. Most homes (86.8%) are owned, so rentals can be hard to find.

How much money do I need?

To rent here comfortably, you should earn about $46,200 a year. That is $22 an hour at a full-time job.

Is rent cheaper than other Illinois cities?

Yes. Rent here is cheaper than in most of Illinois. It is number 80 of 334 cities from cheapest to most expensive.

Braidwood
$1,155
Lake Bluff
$2,281
Pontoon Beach
$1,650
Beardstown
$762
Chillicothe
$994
Willow Springs
$1,618
Metropolis
$832

How much do households earn in Braidwood?

Under $25k
13.0%
$25k–50k
19.0%
$50k–100k
36.3%
$100k–150k
19.6%
$150k+
7.9%

Share of households by yearly income. 27.5% of households earn $100,000 or more.

Rent by apartment size in Braidwood

SizeBraidwoodU.S. average
2 bedrooms$1,200$1,509
3 bedrooms$1,452$1,698

Median monthly rent plus utilities for all renters, by number of bedrooms.

How expensive is Braidwood overall?

Everyday prices in Illinois overall are same as the U.S. average (index 100.0, U.S. = 100).

Housing
94
Goods (food, clothes…)
104
Utilities
85
Other services
100
U.S. average
100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024. City-level data is not published for Braidwood, so the Illinois figure is shown.

Taxes and bills in Braidwood

🏛️ Property tax$3,686a year · 1.82% of home value · U.S. $3,119
⚡ Electric bill$119a month (typical) · U.S. $156

Life in Braidwood

Commute to work29.3 minU.S.: 26.4 min
College degree17.5%U.S.: 35.7%
Own their home86.8%U.S.: 65.2%
Below poverty line7.3%U.S.: 12.5%
Unemployment2.5%U.S.: 5.2%

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Braidwood?

Renting is cheaper right now: about $250 a month less.

Renting
$1,155
Owning
$1,405

Owning assumes a typical $202,500 home, 10% down, a 30-year loan at 6.5% and about 1.5% a year for taxes and insurance. You would also need $20,250 for the down payment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Braidwood, IL?

Renting in Braidwood costs a median of about $1,155 a month in 2026, including utilities. The Illinois median is $1,517.

How much do I need to make to live in Braidwood?

To keep rent under 30% of income, you need about $46,200 a year, or $22 an hour at a full-time job.

Is Braidwood cheap or expensive?

Braidwood is rated Cheap: rent takes 15.6% of the typical household income of $88,655. It ranks 80th cheapest of 334 Illinois cities we track.

How much are property taxes in Braidwood?

The median homeowner in Braidwood pays $3,686 a year in property taxes, about 1.82% of the median home value.

Is Braidwood more expensive than the national average?

Overall prices in Illinois are same as the U.S. average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

How much does a house cost in Braidwood?

The median home value in Braidwood is $202,500, about 2.3 times the typical yearly household income.

6,062 people live in Braidwood. Numbers are typical (middle) values.