Springfield cost of living
Prices in the Springfield, IL metro area run at 92.7 against a national average of 100, ranking it #222 of 387 metros. Rents there sit at 71.6.
What drives the number
Prices in Springfield run at 92.7 where the national average is 100, so about 7.3 per cent below the country as a whole. It ranks #222 of 387 metro areas. Against Illinois as a whole it is 7.3 points less expensive, which is the unusual direction, and it means the expensive part of the state is somewhere else.
Housing is unusually cheap relative to everything else here. Rents sit at 71.6 against goods at 93.6 and other services at 90.4, so the overall figure of 92.7 understates how affordable the housing itself is. Services, which are priced by local wages, are what hold the overall number up. Goods at 93.6 are themselves 6.4 points off national, which is a wide gap for a category that is mostly shipped in.
Low prices only help if pay does not fall by more. Dividing the local median wage by 92.7 is how to check, and the wage pages carry that comparison.
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 Springfield 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 | 7,450 | $66,530 | $71,769 | $93,600 |
| General and Operations Managers | 7,340 | $72,400 | $78,101 | $102,950 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 6,820 | $35,670 | $38,479 | $37,090 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 6,550 | $52,750 | $56,904 | $57,440 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 6,230 | $29,900 | $32,255 | $34,900 |
| Cashiers | 5,360 | $28,720 | $30,982 | $31,190 |
| Retail Salespersons | 5,280 | $30,720 | $33,139 | $34,580 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 4,930 | $40,940 | $44,164 | $42,830 |
Pay from the BLS metro survey, adjusted by dividing by the metro parity of 92.7.
Nearby metro areas
| Metro area | All items | Rents | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | 103.6 | 112.0 | #40 |
| Kankakee | 96.4 | 92.9 | #140 |
| St. Louis | 95.1 | 79.0 | #167 |
| Bloomington | 93.5 | 74.7 | #195 |
| Champaign-Urbana | 92.7 | 71.6 | #218 |
| Rockford | 92.2 | 70.1 | #238 |
Springfield: common questions
Is Springfield expensive?
Prices are 7.3% below the national average, a parity of 92.7 where the country is 100. It ranks #222 of the 387 metro areas BEA measures. Against Illinois as a whole it is 7.3 points less expensive.
What salary do you need in Springfield?
The median worker there earns $44,110, which buys what $47,584 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 71.6 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.