Cost Of Living in Nelson, IL

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17%

Overall NAT. AVG.

3%

Groceries NAT. AVG.

50%

Housing NAT. AVG.

Date & Last Updated: These cost of living estimates reflect 2026 modeled data using U.S. Census housing inputs and AI-assisted city-level pricing models.

The cost of living index is based on a national average of 100. For example, if the cost of living score is 90, then the estimated cost of living is 10% lower than the national average. If the score is 110, then the estimated cost of living is 10% higher than average. The overall index is calculated using weighted estimates across major everyday expense categories, including housing (30%), groceries (16%), transportation (12%), healthcare (10%), utilities (8%), lifestyle and entertainment (8%), household expenses (8%), and education and childcare (8%). All values are AI-assisted city-level estimates designed for directional comparisons.
Index	Nelson	Illinois	National
Cost of living	83	98	100
Groceries	98	100	100
Health care	98	100	100
Housing	50	95	100
Transportation	100	101	100
Utilities	96	99	100
Lifestyle & Entertainment	94	100	100
Household Items	97	100	100
Education & Childcare	97	100	100

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Cost Of Living Quick Facts

The cost of living in Nelson is 15% lower than the Illinois average
The cost of living in Nelson is 17% lower than the national average
Nelson housing is 50% lower than the national average
Illinois general sales tax is 22% higher than the national average
Illinois state income tax is 91% higher than the national average

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Price difference in compared to

Cost of living index
Groceries index
Health care index
Housing index
Transportation index
Utilities index
Lifestyle index
Household index
Educare index

Median Income & Debt-To-Income Ratio

Median Income	Per Year	Per Month	Max Budget (28% DTI)	Max Budget (36% DTI)
Owners	$77,033	$6,419	$1,797	$2,311
Renters	$40,092	$3,341	$935	$1,203

Illinois Sales Tax

State	General Sales Tax	With Max Surtax
Illinois	6.25%	10.25%

Illinois Income Tax

State	Income Tax (Low)	Income Tax (High)
Illinois	4.95%	4.95%

Nearby cities with low cost of living

City	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Deer Grove, IL	34	77	23.0%
Harmon, IL	150	84	16.0%
Rock Falls, IL	9,152	82	18.2%
Milledgeville, IL	1,014	83	17.0%
Tampico, IL	793	83	17.0%
Nelson, IL	138	83	16.8%

Cities with similar population

City	Population	Cost of Living Index	National Avg.
Moorefield, AR	138	91	9.5%
Mead Ranch, AZ	138	102	2.4%
Dutch Flat, CA	138	116	15.9%
Brick Center, CO	138	163	62.5%
Martinsburg, IA	138	77	23.5%
Nelson, IL	138	83	16.8%