Kankakee cost of living
Prices in the Kankakee, IL metro area run at 96.4 against a national average of 100, ranking it #140 of 387 metros. Rents there sit at 92.9.
What drives the number
Prices in Kankakee run at 96.4 where the national average is 100, so about 3.6 per cent below the country as a whole. It ranks #140 of 387 metro areas. Against Illinois as a whole it is 3.6 points less expensive, which is the unusual direction, and it means the expensive part of the state is somewhere else.
The parts move together here rather than pulling against each other: goods at 93.6, rents at 92.9, other services at 89.4. When the components agree, the headline number is a fair summary of the whole cost of living rather than a proxy for rent. Goods at 93.6 are themselves 6.4 points off national, which is a wide gap for a category that is mostly shipped in.
The number is most useful in reverse: a job here can pay less in cash and still leave a household better off, by roughly 3.6 per cent before anything else is considered.
The vertical line is the national average of 100. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, SARPP, 2024.
What the biggest local jobs are really worth
The same pay buys different amounts in different places, so a salary quoted in Kankakee is not comparable to one quoted elsewhere until it is divided by the local parity. These are the occupations that employ the most people here, with the quoted median alongside what that median is worth at national prices.
| Occupation | Employed | Median pay | Worth nationally | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 1,470 | $83,110 | $86,214 | $93,600 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 1,430 | $30,830 | $31,981 | $30,480 |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,150 | $30,900 | $32,054 | $34,580 |
| Cashiers | 1,100 | $29,800 | $30,913 | $31,190 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 1,020 | $35,590 | $36,919 | $38,940 |
| Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians | 1,000 | $59,960 | $62,199 | $61,890 |
| General and Operations Managers | 950 | $90,310 | $93,683 | $102,950 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 860 | $32,520 | $33,734 | $37,090 |
Pay from the BLS metro survey, adjusted by dividing by the metro parity of 96.4.
Nearby metro areas
| Metro area | All items | Rents | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | 103.6 | 112.0 | #40 |
| St. Louis | 95.1 | 79.0 | #167 |
| Bloomington | 93.5 | 74.7 | #195 |
| Champaign-Urbana | 92.7 | 71.6 | #218 |
| Springfield | 92.7 | 71.6 | #222 |
| Rockford | 92.2 | 70.1 | #238 |
Kankakee: common questions
Is Kankakee expensive?
Prices are 3.6% below the national average, a parity of 96.4 where the country is 100. It ranks #140 of the 387 metro areas BEA measures. Against Illinois as a whole it is 3.6 points less expensive.
What salary do you need in Kankakee?
The median worker there earns $45,260, which buys what $46,950 buys nationally once local prices are taken into account. Comparing a salary offer between cities without this adjustment is comparing nothing useful.
Is housing the reason?
Usually. Rents here are at 92.9 against goods at 93.6. Goods barely vary between American cities because most are shipped and priced nationally; housing varies enormously, and it dominates any cost of living comparison.