It should come as no surprise that renting a place in this city is expensive.

The thing that actually shocked me the most though was that this city in Illinois barely made the top 10 mostly costly in America.

Apartment Guide outlined What You Need to Earn to Afford Rent in the 50 Largest Cities in America, and even though I thought I was ready for what I was going to see way at the top still was staggering.

The most expensive city to rent a home should come as no surprise, it's New York. Average rental units in The Big Apple go for just over $6K a month. The recommended salary in order to afford one of those places is just over $250K a year.

Statue of Liberty, New York City, USA. Image shot 06/2014. Exact date unknown.
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Scrolling through the list, I noticed plenty of places in California including Los Angeles, San Francisco, and somewhat surprisingly Santa Ana.

According to the internet, the population in Santa Ana is just over 3,000.

With a population of over 3M and an extra 6M when you factor in surrounding suburbs, Chicago is also considered one of the most expensive places in America to rent a home.

Chicago. Illinois.
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Ranked right behind Santa Ana, the average price for a rental unit in The Windy City is just under $3K with the recommended yearly salary in order to live in Chicago at $117K.

I can't even imagine what it must be like trying to win that rat race in Chicago. There's a reason why I moved out to the Rockford area years ago.

Out of all the surprises in this article, the least shocking thing is, that I'm not the only one to have left the big city for a town where I can throw down roots and buy a home and live somewhat decently.

[H/T Insider]

Rockford's Largest Home For Sale - 12529 North Weldon Road

$10,000 House For Sale in Rockford

426 Forest Avenue, Rockford, Illinois, 61101

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