Illinois · RAL Market Report

Best places to open an assisted living home in Illinois

Name: Illinois assisted living market data
Creator: RAL Market Scout

The top markets for residential assisted living in Illinois, ranked by demand versus supply — plus the cities where the homes are.

Updated July 2026

The top markets for assisted living in Illinois right now are St. Clair, Will, McLean counties — ranked by RAL Market Scout's opportunity score, which weighs 75+ demand and projected senior growth against current bed supply. Statewide there are 498 licensed assisted living homes serving 882,995 residents aged 75+, at a median cost of about $6,219/mo.

Licensed homes

498

state roster

Population 75+

882,995

ACS

Median AL cost

$6,219/mo

near the national median

Bed supply

35.1/1k

moderate supply

Top 10 markets for assisted living in Illinois

RAL Market Scout's opportunity score blends 75+ demand and projected senior growth against current bed supply — a saturated market is scored down even when demand is high. Higher means more room for a new small home.

St. Clair County — opportunity 8.3/10 (Strong); 16,976 seniors 75+, growing -0.3%, with 13 licensed homes.
Will County — opportunity 8.3/10 (Strong); 39,925 seniors 75+, growing 18.0%, with 25 licensed homes.
McLean County — opportunity 8.3/10 (Strong); 9,841 seniors 75+, growing 7.9%, with 10 licensed homes.
Sangamon County — opportunity 8.2/10 (Strong); 15,335 seniors 75+, growing 8.5%, with 18 licensed homes.
Champaign County — opportunity 8.1/10 (Strong); 11,543 seniors 75+, growing 5.9%, with 17 licensed homes.
Kendall County — opportunity 8.1/10 (Strong); 5,699 seniors 75+, growing 19.6%, with 3 licensed homes.
Kane County — opportunity 8.1/10 (Strong); 32,138 seniors 75+, growing 16.4%, with 21 licensed homes.
McHenry County — opportunity 8.1/10 (Strong); 19,823 seniors 75+, growing 21.0%, with 23 licensed homes.
Lake County — opportunity 8.1/10 (Strong); 44,894 seniors 75+, growing 15.1%, with 34 licensed homes.
LaSalle County — opportunity 8.1/10 (Strong); 8,860 seniors 75+, growing -3.6%, with 5 licensed homes.

All Illinois counties by market opportunity

County	Pop 75+	Demand	Homes	Market	Band
St. Clair	16,976	3.4	13	8.3	Strong
Will	39,925	6.3	25	8.3	Strong
McLean	9,841	4.1	10	8.3	Strong
Sangamon	15,335	4.8	18	8.2	Strong
Champaign	11,543	4.4	17	8.1	Strong
Kendall	5,699	5.5	3	8.1	Strong
Kane	32,138	6.1	21	8.1	Strong
McHenry	19,823	6.2	23	8.1	Strong
Lake	44,894	6.4	34	8.1	Strong
LaSalle	8,860	3.4	5	8.1	Strong
Vermilion	6,143	2.4	2	8.1	Strong
Peoria	13,775	4.4	11	8.0	Strong
Madison	19,998	3.8	20	8.0	Strong
Rock Island	12,204	4.2	9	8.0	Strong
Kankakee	7,876	4.0	6	7.9	Strong
Tazewell	11,078	4.4	10	7.9	Strong
Cook	339,966	5.3	87	7.9	Strong
DuPage	65,155	6.0	37	7.9	Strong
Williamson	5,549	4.6	10	7.9	Strong
Winnebago	21,847	4.8	13	7.8	Strong
Macon	9,075	3.2	6	7.8	Strong
Adams	5,905	3.7	10	7.8	Strong
Whiteside	5,071	3.8	4	7.7	Strong
DeKalb	5,652	4.3	1	7.7	Strong
Henry	4,480	3.4	5	7.6	Strong
Grundy	3,100	3.7	1	7.5	Strong
Knox	4,748	2.8	2	7.3	Strong
Ogle	4,550	4.9	2	7.1	Strong
Jackson	3,529	2.4	5	7.1	Strong
Macoupin	3,888	2.4	2	7.1	Strong
Menard	1,006	2.1	0	7.1	Strong
Stephenson	4,519	3.8	2	7.0	Strong
Marion	3,095	2.4	1	6.9	Moderate
Jo Daviess	2,846	5.3	3	6.9	Moderate
Randolph	2,740	3.8	2	6.9	Moderate
Clark	1,307	2.7	2	6.9	Moderate
Jefferson	3,000	2.7	3	6.9	Moderate
Boone	3,616	3.4	0	6.8	Moderate
Piatt	1,472	3.3	2	6.7	Moderate
Franklin	3,293	2.8	1	6.7	Moderate
Bureau	3,389	3.6	1	6.7	Moderate
Livingston	2,969	3.5	3	6.7	Moderate
Saline	2,135	3.7	2	6.7	Moderate
Fulton	2,890	2.1	3	6.6	Moderate
Shelby	2,115	3.4	2	6.6	Moderate
Effingham	2,663	2.4	5	6.6	Moderate
Monroe	2,711	2.9	7	6.6	Moderate
Jersey	1,816	3.0	2	6.6	Moderate
Coles	3,632	3.4	4	6.6	Moderate
Clinton	2,822	2.8	3	6.6	Moderate
De Witt	1,353	2.8	0	6.5	Moderate
Lee	3,151	4.4	2	6.5	Moderate
Perry	1,771	2.9	0	6.5	Moderate
Christian	2,906	3.0	3	6.5	Moderate
Logan	2,388	2.4	3	6.5	Moderate
Woodford	3,010	3.0	1	6.4	Moderate
Edgar	1,827	4.6	0	6.3	Moderate
Union	1,762	5.1	0	6.3	Moderate
Hancock	1,841	2.9	1	6.3	Moderate
Washington	1,242	2.4	0	6.3	Moderate
Morgan	3,006	3.8	2	6.3	Moderate
Carroll	1,610	4.4	0	6.3	Moderate
Mercer	1,445	2.8	0	6.3	Moderate
McDonough	2,245	2.6	4	6.2	Moderate
Crawford	1,496	2.4	2	6.2	Moderate
Johnson	1,151	3.4	0	6.2	Moderate
Iroquois	2,554	2.8	1	6.2	Moderate
Douglas	1,538	2.1	1	6.2	Moderate
Montgomery	2,610	4.1	3	6.2	Moderate
Lawrence	1,173	2.6	0	6.1	Moderate
Bond	1,287	3.3	1	6.1	Moderate
Fayette	1,840	2.1	1	6.1	Moderate
Marshall	1,212	2.4	1	6.0	Moderate
Greene	1,004	3.0	0	6.0	Moderate
Warren	1,380	2.2	1	5.8	Moderate
Massac	1,386	3.2	0	5.8	Moderate
Moultrie	1,169	3.3	3	5.8	Moderate
Pike	1,374	2.8	2	5.7	Moderate
Richland	1,465	2.4	3	5.7	Moderate
Mason	1,302	2.9	0	5.7	Moderate
Clay	1,136	2.4	0	5.7	Moderate
Wayne	1,592	2.8	0	5.6	Moderate
Ford	1,139	3.0	1	5.5	Moderate
Wabash	1,080	3.4	1	5.4	Moderate
White	1,534	4.3	0	5.4	Moderate
Schuyler	714	3.2	0	—	—
Hamilton	830	3.2	0	—	—
Calhoun	487	2.6	0	—	—
Scott	561	4.9	0	—	—
Jasper	806	2.1	1	—	—
Cass	893	1.8	0	—	—
Henderson	769	3.9	0	—	—
Brown	395	3.1	0	—	—
Putnam	547	4.8	0	—	—
Pulaski	442	2.8	0	—	—
Pope	414	3.7	0	—	—
Alexander	498	3.8	0	—	—
Edwards	583	2.2	0	—	—
Stark	511	3.4	0	—	—
Gallatin	576	5.1	0	—	—
Hardin	453	5.4	0	—	—
Cumberland	878	2.8	0	—	—

Top cities for assisted living in Illinois

Where the homes actually are. Each linked city has its own page with local supply and market context.

City	County	Homes	Beds	Avg size
Chicago	Cook	16	956	59.8
Springfield	Sangamon	10	419	41.9
Quincy	Adams	10	176	17.6
Peoria	Peoria	9	531	59.0
St Charles	Kane	8	369	46.1
Rockford	Winnebago	8	435	54.4
Savoy	Champaign	7	229	32.7
Naperville	Will	7	534	76.3
Bloomington	McLean	6	455	75.8
Arlington Heights	Cook	6	364	60.7
Mchenry	McHenry	5	272	54.4
Decatur	Macon	5	274	54.8
New Lenox	Will	5	80	16.0
Crystal Lake	McHenry	5	293	58.6
Lake In The Hills	McHenry	5	148	29.6
Gurnee	Lake	5	172	34.4
Orland Park	Will	5	414	82.8
Effingham	Effingham	5	138	27.6
Marion	Williamson	5	172	34.4
Lake Zurich	Lake	5	150	30.0

Frequently asked questions

What are the top markets for assisted living in Illinois?

The strongest Illinois markets on RAL Market Scout's opportunity scoring are St. Clair, Will, McLean, Sangamon, Champaign counties — based on 75+ demand and projected senior growth versus current bed supply.

Which Illinois city has the most assisted living homes?

Chicago has the most, with 16 licensed assisted living homes (about 956 beds).

How much does assisted living cost in Illinois?

The median assisted living cost in Illinois is about $6,219 per month — near the national median.

How many assisted living homes are in Illinois?

Illinois has approximately 498 licensed assisted living homes serving 882,995 residents aged 75 and older.

See the full Illinois picture

RAL Market Scout scores every county and ZIP in Illinois on demand, supply gaps, and referral capacity — and builds a site-level report for any address you're evaluating.

Run a Market Report Site Intelligence report

Sources: Licensed-home and city counts from Illinois state licensing rosters (RAL Market Scout data pipeline). 75+ population and growth from U.S. Census ACS. Bed supply from NIC MAP / state surveys. Cost figures are market medians. Data snapshot: 2026-07. Informational only — not legal, financial, or investment advice.