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 2016, at 29%. Kendall County had the lowest, at 4.6%. The median was 13.6% and the figure for Illinois was 13%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest29Alexander County
Lowest4.6Kendall County
Median13.6102 counties
Illinois13History

Top 40 counties, 2016

CSVChart (SVG)

Alexander CountyAlexander County: 29 %29Jackson CountyJackson County: 23.4 %23.4Hardin CountyHardin County: 21.9 %21.9Franklin CountyFranklin County: 21.5 %21.5Pulaski CountyPulaski County: 21.1 %21.1Massac CountyMassac County: 20.6 %20.6Gallatin CountyGallatin County: 20.5 %20.5Saline CountySaline County: 20.4 %20.4McDonough CountyMcDonough County: 20.2 %20.2Vermilion CountyVermilion County: 20.2 %20.2Coles CountyColes County: 19.3 %19.3Champaign CountyChampaign County: 18.9 %18.9Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 18.6 %18.6Pope CountyPope County: 18.2 %18.2Union CountyUnion County: 17.4 %17.4Macon CountyMacon County: 17.3 %17.3Knox CountyKnox County: 17.1 %17.1Brown CountyBrown County: 16.7 %16.7Pike CountyPike County: 16.4 %16.4White CountyWhite County: 16.2 %16.2Clay CountyClay County: 16 %16Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 16 %16Williamson CountyWilliamson County: 15.9 %15.9DeKalb CountyDeKalb County: 15.8 %15.8Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 15.8 %15.8Marion CountyMarion County: 15.8 %15.8Morgan CountyMorgan County: 15.7 %15.7Perry CountyPerry County: 15.6 %15.6Rock Island CountyRock Island County: 15.6 %15.6Winnebago CountyWinnebago County: 15.6 %15.6St. Clair CountySt. Clair County: 15.4 %15.4Stephenson CountyStephenson County: 15.4 %15.4Fayette CountyFayette County: 15.2 %15.2Peoria CountyPeoria County: 15.2 %15.2Greene CountyGreene County: 15.1 %15.1Mason CountyMason County: 15.1 %15.1Cook CountyCook County: 15 %15Fulton CountyFulton County: 14.7 %14.7Crawford CountyCrawford County: 14.4 %14.4Hamilton CountyHamilton County: 14.4 %14.4
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2016 (%)Change on 2015
1Alexander County29+0.4 pts
2Jackson County23.4-0.1 pts
3Hardin County21.9+1.3 pts
4Franklin County21.5+2.8 pts
5Pulaski County21.1-3.6 pts
6Massac County20.6+3.8 pts
7Gallatin County20.5+2.6 pts
8Saline County20.4-2.8 pts
9McDonough County20.2-2.6 pts
9Vermilion County20.2+1.8 pts
11Coles County19.3-2.5 pts
12Champaign County18.9-1.2 pts
13Lawrence County18.6+0.9 pts
14Pope County18.2+0.1 pts
15Union County17.4+2.1 pts
16Macon County17.3-0.9 pts
17Knox County17.1-0.1 pts
18Brown County16.70 pts
19Pike County16.4+1.4 pts
20White County16.2+1.3 pts
21Clay County16+1.5 pts
21Montgomery County16-0.6 pts
23Williamson County15.9-0.3 pts
24DeKalb County15.8-0.4 pts
24Jefferson County15.8-0.9 pts
24Marion County15.8-2.2 pts
27Morgan County15.7+0.9 pts
28Perry County15.6-1.2 pts
28Rock Island County15.6+2.4 pts
28Winnebago County15.6+0.9 pts
31St. Clair County15.4-1 pts
31Stephenson County15.4+2.4 pts
33Fayette County15.2-3.3 pts
33Peoria County15.2-0.4 pts
35Greene County15.1-1.5 pts
35Mason County15.1+1.2 pts
37Cook County15-1.2 pts
38Fulton County14.7-0.2 pts
39Crawford County14.4+1 pts
39Hamilton County14.4+1.4 pts
39Johnson County14.4+0.1 pts
39Richland County14.4-0.5 pts
43Livingston County14.3+1.5 pts
44Kankakee County14.2-1 pts
45Wayne County13.9+1.1 pts
46Sangamon County13.8-1.5 pts
47Cass County13.7+1.5 pts
47Logan County13.70 pts
47Randolph County13.7-0.6 pts
50Bond County13.6-1.2 pts
50Edgar County13.6-0.3 pts
50Warren County13.6-0.7 pts
53Wabash County13.5+1.3 pts
54Iroquois County13.30 pts
54LaSalle County13.3+0.4 pts
54Lee County13.3+0.6 pts
54Macoupin County13.3-0.4 pts
54Madison County13.3+0.4 pts
59Adams County12.8-0.6 pts
60Christian County12.70 pts
61Carroll County12.6+1.9 pts
61McLean County12.6+0.9 pts
63Cumberland County12.4+0.4 pts
64Calhoun County12.2+0.6 pts
65Schuyler County12.1-0.8 pts
66Clark County12-1.8 pts
66Hancock County12-0.7 pts
68Whiteside County11.9-0.9 pts
69Henderson County11.7+0.2 pts
69Shelby County11.7+0.1 pts
71Bureau County11.5-1.1 pts
71Henry County11.5+0.8 pts
71Scott County11.5+0.2 pts
71Stark County11.5-1.2 pts
75Ford County11.2-0.1 pts
75Jersey County11.2-0.2 pts
77Edwards County11.1-0.2 pts
78Effingham County10.9+1.1 pts
79Jasper County10.7-1.3 pts
80De Witt County10.6-1 pts
81Kane County10.5-0.3 pts
82Mercer County10.2+0.1 pts
82Ogle County10.2-0.2 pts
84Moultrie County10+1.4 pts
85Jo Daviess County9.9+0.5 pts
86Douglas County9.8-0.4 pts
86Marshall County9.8-0.8 pts
88Menard County9.7-0.6 pts
89Boone County9.6-0.7 pts
90Clinton County9.3+0.8 pts
90Washington County9.3+0.5 pts
92Tazewell County8.8+0.4 pts
93Lake County8.7-0.3 pts
94Putnam County8-0.8 pts
95Grundy County7.9+0.2 pts
96McHenry County7.3-0.8 pts
97Will County7.2-0.8 pts
98DuPage County7-0.1 pts
99Piatt County6.8+0.3 pts
100Woodford County6.6-0.4 pts
101Monroe County4.8-0.2 pts
102Kendall County4.6-0.2 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/2016/2016-state-and-county/est16all.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 29% in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Kendall County, with 4.6% in 2016.

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