Analysis Shows Percentage Of Household Income Going Towards Bills In Illinois Communities

By Kevin Bessler, The Center Square:

Illinoisans are paying more of their annual income on household expenses than the rest of the country.

An analysis by the website doxoINSIGHTS found that the average Illinois household spends $2,121 a month on the 10 most common household bills, including a mortgage, auto loan, and utilities. Illinois is the 17th most expensive state for household expenses and accounts for 35% of the annual household income.

“The main drivers for making a place expensive is usually mortgage and rent,” researcher Liz Powell said.

Residents of Kendall County are living in the most expensive county in the state for household expenses, paying over 44% higher than the national average. In comparison, residents in Sangamon County pay over 19% less than the national average on household expenses.

Chicagoans are paying nearly 7% more on the 10 most common household bills than the rest of the country, which accounts for 40% of their annual yearly income, but that ranks as only the 96th most expensive city in Illinois.

In other areas of Illinois, McLean County residents pay 11% lower than the national average on household bills. Residents of Madison County pay about 17% lower on bills than the rest of the country. Residents of Jackson County pay 24.6% less on bills than the national average, but they account for 47% of their annual income.

West Virginia is the least expensive state for household bills, while the District of Columbia is the most expensive.

The focus of the work of The Center Square Illinois is state- and local-level government and economic reporting that approaches stories with a taxpayer sensibility. For more stories from The Center Square, visit TheCenterSquare.com.