Counties in Illinois by poverty rate, 2024

Alexander County had the highest poverty rate of 102 counties in 2024, at 24.8%. Kendall County had the lowest, at 4.2%. The median was 12.5% and the figure for Illinois was 11.5%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest24.8Alexander County
Median12.5102 counties
Illinois11.5History

Top 40 counties, 2024

CSVChart (SVG)

Alexander CountyAlexander County: 24.8 %24.8Pulaski CountyPulaski County: 21.7 %21.7Jackson CountyJackson County: 20.5 %20.5Champaign CountyChampaign County: 18.8 %18.8McDonough CountyMcDonough County: 18.6 %18.6Saline CountySaline County: 18 %18Hardin CountyHardin County: 17.9 %17.9Gallatin CountyGallatin County: 17.5 %17.5Vermilion CountyVermilion County: 17.3 %17.3Union CountyUnion County: 17.2 %17.2Macon CountyMacon County: 16.7 %16.7Pope CountyPope County: 16.5 %16.5Franklin CountyFranklin County: 16.4 %16.4Knox CountyKnox County: 15.7 %15.7Fayette CountyFayette County: 15.3 %15.3Peoria CountyPeoria County: 15.3 %15.3Massac CountyMassac County: 15.2 %15.2Perry CountyPerry County: 15.2 %15.2Winnebago CountyWinnebago County: 14.8 %14.8Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 14.7 %14.7Randolph CountyRandolph County: 14.7 %14.7Carroll CountyCarroll County: 14.6 %14.6Johnson CountyJohnson County: 14.6 %14.6Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 14.6 %14.6Coles CountyColes County: 14.5 %14.5Crawford CountyCrawford County: 14.5 %14.5Marion CountyMarion County: 14.4 %14.4Wayne CountyWayne County: 14.3 %14.3White CountyWhite County: 14.2 %14.2Morgan CountyMorgan County: 14.1 %14.1Stephenson CountyStephenson County: 14.1 %14.1Wabash CountyWabash County: 14.1 %14.1Clay CountyClay County: 14 %14Fulton CountyFulton County: 14 %14Greene CountyGreene County: 14 %14Warren CountyWarren County: 14 %14Brown CountyBrown County: 13.8 %13.8Cook CountyCook County: 13.7 %13.7Mason CountyMason County: 13.5 %13.5Pike CountyPike County: 13.5 %13.5
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2024 (%)Change on 2023
1Alexander County24.8-1 pts
2Pulaski County21.7-0.7 pts
3Jackson County20.5-0.2 pts
4Champaign County18.8+2.6 pts
5McDonough County18.6-1.3 pts
6Saline County18-0.5 pts
7Hardin County17.9-1.3 pts
8Gallatin County17.50 pts
9Vermilion County17.3-2.2 pts
10Union County17.2+1.3 pts
11Macon County16.7+1 pts
12Pope County16.5+0.4 pts
13Franklin County16.4-1.5 pts
14Knox County15.7-0.6 pts
15Fayette County15.3-1.7 pts
15Peoria County15.3-1.5 pts
17Massac County15.2-2.5 pts
17Perry County15.2-1.8 pts
19Winnebago County14.8+0.1 pts
20Lawrence County14.7-3.6 pts
20Randolph County14.7+2.9 pts
22Carroll County14.6+1.7 pts
22Johnson County14.6-0.6 pts
22Montgomery County14.6-0.1 pts
25Coles County14.5-2.8 pts
25Crawford County14.5+0.3 pts
27Marion County14.4-1.6 pts
28Wayne County14.3+1.6 pts
29White County14.2-0.7 pts
30Morgan County14.1+0.2 pts
30Stephenson County14.1+1.4 pts
30Wabash County14.1-0.3 pts
33Clay County14-0.9 pts
33Fulton County14+2.2 pts
33Greene County14+0.2 pts
33Warren County14+1.9 pts
37Brown County13.8+0.1 pts
38Cook County13.7+0.5 pts
39Mason County13.5-1.4 pts
39Pike County13.5-1.5 pts
41Henderson County13.4+0.2 pts
42Adams County13.3+1.1 pts
43Kankakee County13.1+1.6 pts
43Schuyler County13.1-0.6 pts
45Edgar County13-0.6 pts
45Richland County13-0.1 pts
47Jefferson County12.9-2.5 pts
48LaSalle County12.8+1.2 pts
49St. Clair County12.7-0.7 pts
50Bond County12.6-1 pts
50Rock Island County12.6-2.2 pts
52Williamson County12.3-4.5 pts
53Christian County12.2+0.1 pts
53Livingston County12.2+1.1 pts
55Cass County12.1+0.5 pts
56Scott County12+0.6 pts
57DeKalb County11.6-0.9 pts
57McLean County11.6+0.6 pts
59Lee County11.5+1.4 pts
60Jasper County11.3+1.9 pts
60Logan County11.3-3.1 pts
62Edwards County11.1-2.8 pts
63Clark County11-1 pts
64Hancock County10.9-2.1 pts
65Macoupin County10.6-2.4 pts
66Hamilton County10.5-0.8 pts
66Stark County10.5-0.8 pts
68Iroquois County10.4-1.9 pts
69Calhoun County10+0.1 pts
69Whiteside County10-1.4 pts
71De Witt County9.9-0.9 pts
72Cumberland County9.8-1.4 pts
72Jo Daviess County9.8+1.2 pts
74Sangamon County9.7-2.2 pts
75Madison County9.6-1.5 pts
75Ogle County9.6+0.4 pts
77Jersey County9.5-1.3 pts
78Henry County9.4-0.2 pts
79Ford County9.3-1.7 pts
79Moultrie County9.3-1.7 pts
81Bureau County9.2-2.2 pts
81Marshall County9.2-1 pts
83Mercer County9.1-0.7 pts
84Shelby County8.8-1.8 pts
85Boone County8.4-2.4 pts
85Menard County8.4-1.9 pts
87Tazewell County8.3-0.6 pts
88Effingham County8.1-1.7 pts
89Clinton County8+0.5 pts
90Douglas County7.8-1.2 pts
90Lake County7.8-0.4 pts
92Putnam County7.7-1.1 pts
92Will County7.7+0.5 pts
94Kane County7.3-1.1 pts
94Washington County7.3-1.4 pts
96Piatt County6.9+0.1 pts
97DuPage County6.3-0.3 pts
97McHenry County6.30 pts
99Grundy County5.8-1 pts
100Woodford County5.5-1.4 pts
101Monroe County4.7-0.2 pts
102Kendall County4.2-0.9 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People living in families or alone with income below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people whose poverty status can be determined. United States: Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), all ages.

Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_poverty_rate.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people of all ages in poverty, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2024/2024-state-and-county/est24all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Rank Counties in Illinois by poverty rate using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

Alexander County, with 24.8% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Kendall County, with 4.2% in 2024.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people of all ages in poverty, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Poverty rate (US official measure): other rankings

Counties in Illinois: more rankings