What Illinois Markets Actually Yield
Program and regulatory figures verified September 15, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
Rent to price is the first screen on any rental, and it is the screen where Illinois quietly does well. Here is every Illinois market we could measure, against the markets investors leave the state to buy, taken from one source in one month so the comparison holds.
Illinois, top to bottom
| Market | Typical value | Typical rent | Gross yield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Danville | $101,787 | $861 | 10.15% |
| Decatur | $126,812 | $1,072 | 10.15% |
| Macomb | $101,351 | $833 | 9.86% |
| Peoria | $174,841 | $1,178 | 8.08% |
| Chicago | $357,265 | $2,210 | 7.42% |
| Springfield | $200,021 | $1,197 | 7.18% |
| Champaign | $239,660 | $1,368 | 6.85% |
| Rockford | $224,246 | $1,266 | 6.77% |
| Bloomington | $261,173 | $1,342 | 6.17% |
Against the markets people buy instead
| Market | Typical value | Typical rent | Gross yield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa | $358,706 | $2,001 | 6.70% |
| Indianapolis | $293,506 | $1,552 | 6.34% |
| Atlanta | $377,428 | $1,853 | 5.89% |
| Philadelphia | $389,524 | $1,911 | 5.89% |
| Kansas City | $327,320 | $1,529 | 5.60% |
| Columbus | $330,327 | $1,521 | 5.53% |
| Dallas | $360,437 | $1,659 | 5.52% |
| Milwaukee | $388,845 | $1,563 | 4.82% |
| Nashville | $452,186 | $1,813 | 4.81% |
| Phoenix | $442,078 | $1,722 | 4.67% |
All figures Zillow typical home value against Zillow typical asking rent, as of 2026-08-31. Gross yield is annual rent divided by value.
What this measurement does not include
Gross yield is a screen, not an underwrite. It says nothing about taxes, insurance, vacancy or management, and on an Illinois property the tax line is the one that decides deals. It is also the line where the published state average misleads an investor, because that average is built on owner-occupied homes carrying an exemption you will not have. Read the tax page before you trust any of the numbers above as a return.
Two different businesses
Chicago at 7.42% and Danville at 10.15% are not the same trade. The downstate markets price where they do because the buyer pool is thin, the exit is slower and management is harder to source at distance. The Chicago number is a large, liquid market quietly out-yielding the Sun Belt. We lend on both and we will tell you plainly which one matches what you are trying to build. Here is how the loan works.
Mike Certo · NMLS #260555 · Cornerstone First Mortgage NMLS #173855 · Equal Housing Lender. Educational content, not a loan commitment and not legal or tax advice. Assessment levels, the state equalization factor, county tax rates and city rental ordinances change, and the figures here carry the date we verified them. Confirm current requirements with the county assessor, the county clerk, your CPA, or an Illinois real estate attorney before you buy. Loans are subject to buyer and property qualification.