Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US official measure) / Counties in Illinois

Counties in Illinois by poverty rate

Alexander County had the highest poverty rate of 102 counties in 2015, at 28.6%. Kendall County had the lowest, at 4.8%. The median was 13.1% and the figure for Illinois was 13.6%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest28.6Alexander County
Lowest4.8Kendall County
Median13.1102 counties
Illinois13.6History

Top 40 counties, 2015

CSVChart (SVG)

Alexander CountyAlexander County: 28.6 %28.6Pulaski CountyPulaski County: 24.7 %24.7Jackson CountyJackson County: 23.5 %23.5Saline CountySaline County: 23.2 %23.2McDonough CountyMcDonough County: 22.8 %22.8Coles CountyColes County: 21.8 %21.8Hardin CountyHardin County: 20.6 %20.6Champaign CountyChampaign County: 20.1 %20.1Franklin CountyFranklin County: 18.7 %18.7Fayette CountyFayette County: 18.5 %18.5Vermilion CountyVermilion County: 18.4 %18.4Macon CountyMacon County: 18.2 %18.2Pope CountyPope County: 18.1 %18.1Marion CountyMarion County: 18 %18Gallatin CountyGallatin County: 17.9 %17.9Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 17.7 %17.7Knox CountyKnox County: 17.2 %17.2Massac CountyMassac County: 16.8 %16.8Perry CountyPerry County: 16.8 %16.8Brown CountyBrown County: 16.7 %16.7Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 16.7 %16.7Greene CountyGreene County: 16.6 %16.6Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 16.6 %16.6St. Clair CountySt. Clair County: 16.4 %16.4Cook CountyCook County: 16.2 %16.2DeKalb CountyDeKalb County: 16.2 %16.2Williamson CountyWilliamson County: 16.2 %16.2Peoria CountyPeoria County: 15.6 %15.6Sangamon CountySangamon County: 15.3 %15.3Union CountyUnion County: 15.3 %15.3Kankakee CountyKankakee County: 15.2 %15.2Pike CountyPike County: 15 %15Fulton CountyFulton County: 14.9 %14.9Richland CountyRichland County: 14.9 %14.9White CountyWhite County: 14.9 %14.9Bond CountyBond County: 14.8 %14.8Morgan CountyMorgan County: 14.8 %14.8Winnebago CountyWinnebago County: 14.7 %14.7Clay CountyClay County: 14.5 %14.5Johnson CountyJohnson County: 14.3 %14.3
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2015 (%)
1Alexander County28.6
2Pulaski County24.7
3Jackson County23.5
4Saline County23.2
5McDonough County22.8
6Coles County21.8
7Hardin County20.6
8Champaign County20.1
9Franklin County18.7
10Fayette County18.5
11Vermilion County18.4
12Macon County18.2
13Pope County18.1
14Marion County18
15Gallatin County17.9
16Lawrence County17.7
17Knox County17.2
18Massac County16.8
18Perry County16.8
20Brown County16.7
20Jefferson County16.7
22Greene County16.6
22Montgomery County16.6
24St. Clair County16.4
25Cook County16.2
25DeKalb County16.2
25Williamson County16.2
28Peoria County15.6
29Sangamon County15.3
29Union County15.3
31Kankakee County15.2
32Pike County15
33Fulton County14.9
33Richland County14.9
33White County14.9
36Bond County14.8
36Morgan County14.8
38Winnebago County14.7
39Clay County14.5
40Johnson County14.3
40Randolph County14.3
40Warren County14.3
43Edgar County13.9
43Mason County13.9
45Clark County13.8
46Logan County13.7
46Macoupin County13.7
48Adams County13.4
48Crawford County13.4
50Iroquois County13.3
51Rock Island County13.2
52Hamilton County13
52Stephenson County13
54LaSalle County12.9
54Madison County12.9
54Schuyler County12.9
57Livingston County12.8
57Wayne County12.8
57Whiteside County12.8
60Christian County12.7
60Hancock County12.7
60Lee County12.7
60Stark County12.7
64Bureau County12.6
65Cass County12.2
65Wabash County12.2
67Cumberland County12
67Jasper County12
69McLean County11.7
70Calhoun County11.6
70De Witt County11.6
70Shelby County11.6
73Henderson County11.5
74Jersey County11.4
75Edwards County11.3
75Ford County11.3
75Scott County11.3
78Kane County10.8
79Carroll County10.7
79Henry County10.7
81Marshall County10.6
82Ogle County10.4
83Boone County10.3
83Menard County10.3
85Douglas County10.2
86Mercer County10.1
87Effingham County9.8
88Jo Daviess County9.4
89Lake County9
90Putnam County8.8
90Washington County8.8
92Moultrie County8.6
93Clinton County8.5
94Tazewell County8.4
95McHenry County8.1
96Will County8
97Grundy County7.7
98DuPage County7.1
99Woodford County7
100Piatt County6.5
101Monroe County5
102Kendall County4.8

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/2015/2015-state-and-county/est15all.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 28.6% in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Kendall County, with 4.8% in 2015.

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