Then again, you need to add Springfield to the mix, because it just landed in the national top 10 of Niche's new list of cities with the lowest cost of living. Springfield Lands in National Top 10The capital of Illinois ranked #8 overall, thanks to cheap housing, lower-cost gas, and groceries. It’s These 3 PlacesHow Springfield Compares to RockfordThat said, side by side, Springfield and Rockford do have similar comparisons. Niche shows that Rockford home values are higher than those in Springfield, but so are the rent, utilities, and groceries. 25 Worst Places to Live in the State of Illinois Using real stats from the FBI and the Census' American Community Survey these are the worst places to live in Illinois Gallery Credit: Sweet Lenny