Home internet in Illinois
91.8% of Illinois households have an internet subscription and 74.4% have a wired line, but what reaches your own street is decided address by address. This page gives the state picture, then checks your ZIP against our call list.
- 91.8% of Illinois households have an internet subscription; 8.2% have none (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023).
- Wired broadband reaches 74.4% of households, 1.9 points below the national figure of 76.3%.
- Our call line covers 80 ZIP codes in Illinois, including Chicago, Oak Park and Carrollton.
What the numbers say about internet in Illinois
| Households, 2023 | Illinois | United States |
|---|---|---|
| With an internet subscription | 91.8% | 92.2% |
| Wired broadband (cable, fiber or DSL) | 74.4% | 76.3% |
| Cellular data plan only | 13% | 11.9% |
| Satellite internet | 6.8% | 6.6% |
| No internet subscription | 8.2% | 7.8% |
| No computer in the home | 4.1% | 3.9% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 1-year estimates, table S2801. Illinois: 5,071,288 households. United States figure is the household-weighted average of the 50 states and DC. Shares overlap because a home can have more than one type of subscription.
Put against the other states, Illinois is 34th of 51 for wired broadband, 39th for the fewest phone-only households, and 22nd for the share of homes on satellite.
Which connections to expect in Illinois
Wired service covers a solid majority of homes in Illinois, at 74.4% of households, 1.9 points below the national figure of 76.3%. Expect cable in most towns, fiber on a growing share of streets, and DSL where nothing newer has arrived yet.
13% of Illinois households have no internet beyond a phone plan, 1.1 points above the national figure of 11.9%. That is a large group that could move to 5G home internet without any new wiring, often for less than the overage charges on a phone plan.
Satellite serves 6.8% of Illinois households, about the same as the national figure: enough to matter at the edges of the map, not enough to be the default anywhere. Check the land-based options first.
8.2% of households in Illinois have no internet subscription at all, about the same as the national figure, and 4.1% have no computer of any kind. Cost is one of the usual reasons; the low-income internet help guide covers the federal Lifeline discount and the reduced-price plans many providers offer.
For what each type is like to live with, see fiber, cable, 5G home, fixed wireless, DSL and satellite, or the side-by-side table.
Where our call line covers in Illinois
The agents who answer our number can check addresses in 80 ZIP codes across Illinois, among them Chicago, Oak Park, Carrollton, Roxana, Wood River, East Saint Louis, Chester and Mascoutah. Type your ZIP code to see whether yours is one of them. Outside those ZIPs the call button switches off and the guides take over.
80 ZIP codes in Illinois are on the call list.
| City | ZIP codes on the list |
|---|---|
| Chicago | 17 |
| Oak Park | 4 |
| Carrollton | 1 |
| Roxana | 1 |
| Wood River | 1 |
| East Saint Louis | 1 |
| Chester | 1 |
| Mascoutah | 1 |
| Steeleville | 1 |
| Mt Zion | 1 |
| Auburn | 1 |
| Jacksonville | 1 |
| Virden | 1 |
| Springfield | 1 |
| Benton | 1 |
Covered ZIP codes by city, from the call partner's list; the list changes over time.
Getting internet set up in Illinois
- Start with your ZIP code on this page. If it is on the call list, one call checks every line at your address at once; if not, the guides tell you what to ask each provider.
- Rule out the slow options early: where cable or fiber is on the street, DSL and satellite are rarely worth the money. The comparison table shows typical speeds.
- Ask three price questions: what is the monthly cost after the promotion, what equipment fee is added, and is there a data cap. The data caps guide explains the last one.
- If a line fails you later, the slow internet guide covers the fixes to try before you call support.
Common questions
What share of Illinois households are offline?
In the 2023 American Community Survey, 8.2% of Illinois households reported no internet subscription of any kind (415,846 homes), which ranks the state 29th of 51 for the fewest unconnected homes. Another 13% rely on a phone plan alone.
Can I get fiber in Illinois?
On some streets, yes. The Census counts cable, fiber and DSL together (74.4% of Illinois homes), so the fiber share is smaller than that number and changes block by block as providers build. Ask for the exact address; if fiber is not there, cable is usually the next fastest, then 5G home.
Which Illinois ZIP codes can the agents check?
80 of them, mostly around Chicago, Oak Park, Carrollton and Roxana. The ZIP box on this page tells you in one step: a covered ZIP keeps the call button active, an uncovered one switches it off. The list is updated as the call partner adds areas.
Is satellite internet common in Illinois?
6.8% of Illinois households have a satellite subscription, about the same as the national figure. It is mainly used where no wired line reaches. Newer low-orbit satellite services have far lower delay than the old geostationary ones, but check the data limits before you order.