Yahoo Finance 10 Worst Places in Illinois for a Couple To Live on Only a Social Security Check
It’s not that the Illinois cities we’re about to share with you are that far out of financial reach for retired couples. It’s that retired couples can do better in the Land of Lincoln — even if they’re living on just Social Security.
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GOBankingRates has compiled a list of Illinois cities and villages that fall short on livability and may stretch Social Security-only budgets. Most of them also don’t have large retiree populations. We’ve done this by analyzing data from the Social Security Administration, the U.S. Census, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Sperling’s BestPlaces, Zillow and AreaVibes.
The average Social Security benefit for a couple is around $3,700 a month these days. For a list of Illinois cities that fall within that budget AND offer stronger livability scores, take a look at this list. But first, read on for the 10 worst Illinois cities for Social Security-only couples, in reverse order.
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10. Danville
Average rent: $681
Average total monthly cost of living: $2,371
Livability score: 54
First, the good news: The cost of living in Danville is really, really low. As recently as 2014, this city of about 30,000 in east-central Illinois was named the cheapest place to live in the whole county by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
The bad news is that Danville’s livability score is also very low — it manages just a 54 from AreaVibes. Danville does have its charms, though. They include Lake Vermillion, more than a dozen parks, and numerous tourist spots dedicated to former resident Abraham Lincoln.
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9. Chicago Heights
Average rent: $1,613
Average total monthly cost of living: $3,384
Livability score: 72
Sometimes referred to as just “The Heights,” this Chicago suburb is located about 30 miles south of the Windy City. Chicago Heights has declined in population every decade since the 1970s and currently has about 27,000 residents. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, about 27% of the population was under the age of 18.
8. Zion
Average rent: $1,399
Average total monthly cost of living: $3,085
Livability score: 68
You’ll find Zion about 45 miles north of Chicago near Lake Michigan. An ethnically diverse city of about 25,000 residents, Zion offers easy access to Illinois Beach State Park. Its average monthly cost of living — just over $3,000 — puts it within reach of many Social Security-only couples, but its livability score is subpar.
7. Calumet City
Average rent: $1,274
Average total monthly cost of living: $3,089
Livability score: 68
Another Chicago suburb, Calumet City is just south of the Windy City and right across the border from Hammond, Indiana. It is sometimes referred to as just “Cal City.” Its attractions include several parks, a community center and a monthly cost of living for senior couples in the $3,000 range. About 36,000 people make their home here.
6. Lansing
Average rent: $1,695
Average total monthly cost of living: $3,499
Livability score: 67
The village of Lansing is located just south of Calumet City, but is a slightly more expensive place to live with a slightly lower livability score. It boasts about 20 parks and offers easy access to the 125-acre Cook County Forest Preserves, as well as Midway Airport (about 30 minutes away). The village is home to about 30,000 residents.
5. Tinley Park
Average rent: $1,845
Average total monthly cost of living: $3,670
Livability score: 73
You’ll have company if you retire in the village of Tinley Park — about 19% of its 56,000 residents are aged 65 and up. It has the highest average cost of living in this list, but it’s still within reach for most couples receiving an average Social Security benefit. Home to the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, Tinley Park has a slogan of “Life Amplified” and touts its live-music scene. It is southwest of Chicago.
4. Rolling Meadows
Average rent: $1,897
Average total monthly cost of living: $3,668
Livability score: 74
Located northwest of Chicago, Rolling Meadows (population 24,000) has the second-highest average cost of living in our list. It offers easy access to O’Hare International Airport, about 15 miles away. Annual events include a city block party and Memorial Day celebration, and the LEGOLAND Discovery Center is also located here.
3. DeKalb
Average rent: $1,087
Average total monthly cost of living: $2,921
Livability score: 75
DeKalb has the highest livability score in our list, but it’s still just a modest 75. It’s also more affordable, with average monthly rents just north of $1,000 and sub-$3,000 monthly living costs.
However, Northern Illinois University is located here, so just 10% of residents are of retirement age. DeKalb is located about 60 miles west of downtown Chicago, and boasts 700 acres of parks, two golf courses and about 40,000 residents.
2. Carpentersville
Average rent: $1,908
Average total monthly cost of living: $3,607
Livability score: 64
Carpentersville’s drawbacks for cost-conscious retired couples include, 1) the highest average monthly rent on our list, 2) a population that is less than 10% age 65 and up, and 3) the second-lowest livability score in our bottom 10.
On the more positive side, this village about an hour west of Chicago offers Carpenter Park and the Raceway Woods Forest Preserve. Carpentersville has had a mild bump in population this century and now has about 38,000 residents.
1. Glendale Heights
Average rent: $1,618
Average total monthly cost of living: $3,422
Livability score: 72
With its low concentration of seniors, relatively expensive living costs and so-so livability score, Glendale Heights lands as our worst Illinois option for retired couples living on just Social Security.
There are some things to like about this Chicago bedroom community, located west of the big city. Attractions include the Linda Jackson Center for Senior Citizens and the public Glendale Lakes Golf Club. The village’s motto is, “A Proud and Progressive Village for All People.” It is home to roughly 33,000 people.
Methodology: To find the worst places in Illinois for a couple to live on only a Social Security check, GOBankingRates started by identifying the 100 most populated cities in Illinois as sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. For each city on the list, a number of factors was analyzed including cost-of-living indexes for groceries, healthcare, utilities, transportation and miscellaneous (all sourced from Sperling’s BestPlaces); the average expenditure costs for someone aged 65 or older (sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey); the average 2023 rent cost (as sourced from the Zillow Observed Rental Index); a livability index (sourced from AreaVibes); the average Social Security benefits for retired individuals (sourced from the Social Security Administration); total population and population of citizens aged 65 and over (sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey). The cost-of-living indexes were multiplied by the average expenditure costs to find the average cost of living for each city. The average rent cost was added to the average monthly expenditure cost to give an average monthly total cost for each city. All cities with a higher cost than double the average Social Security benefit were removed. GOBankingRates assumes both individuals in a couple are eligible for Social Security benefits, doubling the individual benefit amount. All cities with a high livability index of greater than 75 were removed. Using the population of 65 years or older and the total population, the population 65-and-over percentage was calculated. The population 65-and-over percentage was scored, the monthly expenditure cost was scored, the average rent cost was scored, and the livability index was scored. All the scores were summed and sorted to show the places that are the worst in Illinois for a couple to live on only a Social Security check. All data was collected and is up to date as of January 3, 2024.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 10 Worst Places in Illinois for a Couple To Live on Only a Social Security Check
