What is the best gay city to live in Illinois?
Which city in Illinois is the top LGBTQ-friendliness while being the most affordable? Find out here on this episode. Then download your FREE Queer Money Kickstarter, a 9-step Guide to Kickstart Your Journey to Financial Independence.
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What’s the most affordable, LGBTQ+ friendly City in Illinois?
Today, we’re sharing the most affordable, LGBTQ+ friendly city in Illinois. What’s the runner-up for the most affordable, LGBTQ+ friendly city in Illinois?Champagne! Why? Champagne scored 100 on the Human Rights Campaigns Municipal Equality Index. The home values average $195,000 yearly, coming in the middle for Illinois. Rent averages $1,142 a month for a 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom, which is in the middle for the state. The cost of living is 81.1%, which is also in the middle for Illinois. The average income is $70,000 yearly, in the middle, and the median income is $48,000 annually and towards the lower end for Illinois.
What’s the winner for the most affordable, LGBTQ+ friendly city in Illinois? Rockford! Why? Rockford scores a 100 on HRC’s MEI. The home values average $145,000 per property, the third lowest for Illinois. Rent averages $948 a month and is the second lowest for the state. The cost of living is 79%, which is the lowest. The average income is $55,000 a year and is the second lowest. Meanwhile, median income is $43,000 a year and is the second lowest. The COL, home values, and rents are all lower, making Rockford our top pick for Illinois. So why not Chicago? Chicago came in third in our analysis. Everything is more expensive in Chicago, while the average median income is only the second best in the State.
Some good things about Rockford, Illinois, are AKA Forest City for its natural beauty of gardens and forests. Rockford was the home of the Rockford Apples, the all-girls baseball team featured in the movie A League of Their Own. See The Secret Love on Netflix about the love between players Terry Donahue and Pat Henschel. It is a very endearing movie. Pride is typically the first weekend in June. If you’re visiting or moving to Rockford, check out The Liam Foundation at https://theliamfoundation.org/, which provides training and services to support the LGBTQ+ community. For those who need a gay bar, check out The Office Nightclub – Rockford’s premier LGBTQ+ extravaganza.
Congratulations, Champagne and Rockford!
If you’d like to see the results of all the cities in each state we’re analyzing, go to queermoneypodcast.com/cities, click the link in your podcast player if you’re listening or click here if you’re watching on YouTube.
If you’d like to see the results of all the cities in each state we’re analyzing, get the dynamic list of Affordable LGBTQ+ Friendly Cities in the U.S. here. or click the link in your podcast player for a growing analysis.
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