Even on the area’s higher pay, Berkeley costs more to live in than 79% of U.S. towns
It ranks #591 of 768 in Illinois for affordability. Up 5.5% in a year, close to the Illinois typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area ($91K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 4 sales in September 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value is the steadier guide.
The grade measures what housing costs against what households in the area earn. Berkeley’s area earns well above the typical U.S. town ($91K against $74K), but homes, rent and taxes here run higher still. Owners keep up better than renters: 35% of owners pay 30% or more of income for housing (typical U.S. town: 20%), against 74% of renters.
In dollars
- $305Ktypical home, 3% above the Illinois typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,410a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
- 104prices across the Chicago metro, where the U.S. is 100 (housing 112)BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
In paychecks the grade
- 2.7 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$91K, Chicago-area income
- 19%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 74%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Illinois: 48%Census 2020–24
- 35%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
Housing in Berkeley, in brief
About three in four renters are stretched
74% of renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent, against 48% across Illinois. That’s despite a standard two-bedroom costing just 20% of the median household income, so renters here earn far less than the typical household. Renting ↓
Prices vary a lot across the town lines
Typical values in the towns next door run from $258K in Bellwood to $635K in Elmhurst. At $305K, Berkeley is the 4th most expensive of the 6. Vs. neighbors ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; permits are Census figures through 2025 (2025 partly estimated); incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Berkeley’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Berkeley is more affordable than 21% of U.S. towns, #591 of 768 in Illinois. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; home prices hold it up.
Prices here have kept pace with Illinois: up 32.4% in five years, against 29.6% statewide (Zillow).
Up 32.4% in five years
About the same pace as Illinois (29.6%).
Show as a table
| January | Berkeley | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $158,000 | $179,000 |
| 2018 | $174,000 | $188,000 |
| 2019 | $186,000 | $193,000 |
| 2020 | $195,000 | $198,000 |
| 2021 | $211,000 | $213,000 |
| 2022 | $233,000 | $233,000 |
| 2023 | $249,000 | $246,000 |
| 2024 | $265,000 | $260,000 |
| 2025 | $282,000 | $275,000 |
| 2026 | $291,000 | $287,000 |
| September 2026 | $305,000 | $296,000 |
A typical Berkeley home worth $154K in October 2016 is worth about $305K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 2.7 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Berkeley’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $16K short of a typical Berkeley home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,410 a month here, $830 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Berkeley’s typical property tax (2.52% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,410
Renters already here pay a median of $1,434.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
No new homes permitted in 2025
No permits for new homes were issued in Berkeley in 2025. The last year with any was 2018 (8 new homes).
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Berkeley gained 129 residents while 10 new homes were permitted: about 13 new residents per new home. Population grew faster than building, so existing homes filled up: a sign of tight supply.
Every year as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2018 | 8 | 0 | 8 | $625,000 |
| 2017 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $200,000 |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2013 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $245,000 |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2008 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $575,000 |
| 2007 | 6 | 6 | 0 | $1.7 million |
| 2006 | 12 | 12 | 0 | $3.3 million |
| 2005 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $750,000 |
| 2004 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $195,000 |
| 2003 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $545,000 |
| 2002 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $100,000 |
| 2001 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Berkeley's permit office didn't report to the Census in 2025, so the 2025 figures are Census estimates.
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
Property tax runs above the Illinois norm
The median bill is $6,224 (Illinois: $5,298), 2.52% of a home’s value a year, against 2.01% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
The rest of a budget near Berkeley
Only figures published free for the whole country, each labeled with the area it covers: the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, or Illinois. Groceries follow the goods price level; nobody publishes them town by town.
| Cost | Here | Compared with | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prices overall U.S. = 100 | 104 | IL 100 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Goods (groceries, clothing, cars…) U.S. = 100 | 107 | IL 104 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Utilities U.S. = 100 | 84 | IL 85 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Other services U.S. = 100 | 100 | IL 100 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
Price levels: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024 (metro area and state). Electricity: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, table 5.6.A.
Berkeley vs. its neighbors
Of the 6 towns here with a Zillow value, Berkeley has the 3rd-lowest. York Township and Proviso Township have no Zillow value, so they are in the table only.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley | C− | $305K | $247K | 2.52% | $1,410 |
| Hillside | C | $293K | $247K | 2.55% | $1,760 |
| Bellwood | C | $258K | $230K | 2.55% | $1,490 |
| Northlake | C+ | $308K | $260K | 2.31% | $1,390 |
| Melrose Park | C | $322K | $276K | 2.07% | $1,520 |
| Proviso Township | C | — | $284K | 2.28% | $1,680 |
| York Township | D | — | $397K | 1.94% | $1,920 |
| Elmhurst | D | $635K | $545K | 1.74% | $2,360 |
“—” under Zillow: Zillow publishes no value for that town, so it’s left blank rather than mixed with Census figures.
Questions about the cost of living in Berkeley
Is Berkeley expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Berkeley costs more than 79% of U.S. towns: a C− for cost of living, #591 of 768 in Illinois. The typical home costs 2.7 years of the median household income of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area ($91K).
How much does a house cost in Berkeley?
About $305K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 5.5% in a year. The Illinois typical home is $296K.
What salary do you need to live in Berkeley?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $96,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $2,240 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $56,000.
How much is rent in Berkeley?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,410 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $1,434 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Berkeley?
The median bill is $6,224 a year, 2.52% of the median home value (Illinois: $5,298, 2.01%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Berkeley going up?
Yes: up 5.5% in the past year and 32.4% in five years, against 29.6% across Illinois (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Berkeley buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, September 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.