Counties in Illinois by poverty rate

Alexander County had the highest poverty rate of 102 counties in 2017, at 30.3%. Kendall County had the lowest, at 4.8%. The median was 13.4% and the figure for Illinois was 12.5%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest30.3Alexander County
Median13.4102 counties
Illinois12.5History

Top 40 counties, 2017

CSVChart (SVG)

Alexander CountyAlexander County: 30.3 %30.3Jackson CountyJackson County: 29.2 %29.2Pulaski CountyPulaski County: 22.9 %22.9Hardin CountyHardin County: 21.6 %21.6Coles CountyColes County: 19.5 %19.5Franklin CountyFranklin County: 19.5 %19.5Vermilion CountyVermilion County: 19.4 %19.4Champaign CountyChampaign County: 19.2 %19.2Union CountyUnion County: 19 %19Gallatin CountyGallatin County: 18.9 %18.9McDonough CountyMcDonough County: 18.6 %18.6Saline CountySaline County: 18.6 %18.6Pope CountyPope County: 18.4 %18.4Fayette CountyFayette County: 18.2 %18.2Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 17.4 %17.4Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 17.3 %17.3Stephenson CountyStephenson County: 16.7 %16.7Knox CountyKnox County: 16.1 %16.1Marion CountyMarion County: 16.1 %16.1St. Clair CountySt. Clair County: 16 %16Pike CountyPike County: 15.9 %15.9Randolph CountyRandolph County: 15.8 %15.8McLean CountyMcLean County: 15.6 %15.6Perry CountyPerry County: 15.6 %15.6Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 15.5 %15.5Peoria CountyPeoria County: 15.4 %15.4Richland CountyRichland County: 15.4 %15.4Sangamon CountySangamon County: 15.4 %15.4Massac CountyMassac County: 15.3 %15.3White CountyWhite County: 15.3 %15.3Williamson CountyWilliamson County: 15.3 %15.3Fulton CountyFulton County: 15.2 %15.2Johnson CountyJohnson County: 15 %15Kankakee CountyKankakee County: 15 %15Brown CountyBrown County: 14.9 %14.9Greene CountyGreene County: 14.8 %14.8Cook CountyCook County: 14.6 %14.6Madison CountyMadison County: 14.4 %14.4LaSalle CountyLaSalle County: 14.3 %14.3Macon CountyMacon County: 14.3 %14.3
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2017 (%)Change on 2016
1Alexander County30.3+1.3 pts
2Jackson County29.2+5.8 pts
3Pulaski County22.9+1.8 pts
4Hardin County21.6-0.3 pts
5Coles County19.5+0.2 pts
5Franklin County19.5-2 pts
7Vermilion County19.4-0.8 pts
8Champaign County19.2+0.3 pts
9Union County19+1.6 pts
10Gallatin County18.9-1.6 pts
11McDonough County18.6-1.6 pts
11Saline County18.6-1.8 pts
13Pope County18.4+0.2 pts
14Fayette County18.2+3 pts
15Jefferson County17.4+1.6 pts
16Lawrence County17.3-1.3 pts
17Stephenson County16.7+1.3 pts
18Knox County16.1-1 pts
18Marion County16.1+0.3 pts
20St. Clair County16+0.6 pts
21Pike County15.9-0.5 pts
22Randolph County15.8+2.1 pts
23McLean County15.6+3 pts
23Perry County15.60 pts
25Montgomery County15.5-0.5 pts
26Peoria County15.4+0.2 pts
26Richland County15.4+1 pts
26Sangamon County15.4+1.6 pts
29Massac County15.3-5.3 pts
29White County15.3-0.9 pts
29Williamson County15.3-0.6 pts
32Fulton County15.2+0.5 pts
33Johnson County15+0.6 pts
33Kankakee County15+0.8 pts
35Brown County14.9-1.8 pts
36Greene County14.8-0.3 pts
37Cook County14.6-0.4 pts
38Madison County14.4+1.1 pts
39LaSalle County14.3+1 pts
39Macon County14.3-3 pts
41Winnebago County14.2-1.4 pts
42DeKalb County14.1-1.7 pts
43Wayne County14+0.1 pts
44Crawford County13.8-0.6 pts
44Edgar County13.8+0.2 pts
44Macoupin County13.8+0.5 pts
44Wabash County13.8+0.3 pts
48Mason County13.7-1.4 pts
49Christian County13.6+0.9 pts
50Adams County13.5+0.7 pts
50Morgan County13.5-2.2 pts
52Bond County13.3-0.3 pts
52Cass County13.3-0.4 pts
54Clay County13.2-2.8 pts
55Hamilton County12.9-1.5 pts
55Iroquois County12.9-0.4 pts
55Rock Island County12.9-2.7 pts
55Whiteside County12.9+1 pts
59Livingston County12.8-1.5 pts
60Logan County12.2-1.5 pts
60Scott County12.2+0.7 pts
62Jasper County11.9+1.2 pts
63Schuyler County11.8-0.3 pts
64De Witt County11.7+1.1 pts
64Hancock County11.7-0.3 pts
64Warren County11.7-1.9 pts
67Ford County11.6+0.4 pts
68Carroll County11.5-1.1 pts
69Lee County11.4-1.9 pts
70Henderson County11.2-0.5 pts
71Stark County11.1-0.4 pts
72Clark County11-1 pts
72Henry County11-0.5 pts
74Edwards County10.9-0.2 pts
75Bureau County10.7-0.8 pts
76Mercer County10.6+0.4 pts
77Calhoun County10.5-1.7 pts
78Cumberland County10.3-2.1 pts
78Jersey County10.3-0.9 pts
78Shelby County10.3-1.4 pts
81Douglas County9.80 pts
82Effingham County9.7-1.2 pts
82Marshall County9.7-0.1 pts
82Ogle County9.7-0.5 pts
85Jo Daviess County9.3-0.6 pts
86Kane County9.2-1.3 pts
87Tazewell County9.1+0.3 pts
88Moultrie County9-1 pts
89Boone County8.8-0.8 pts
90Menard County8.7-1 pts
91Clinton County8.2-1.1 pts
92Washington County8.1-1.2 pts
93Putnam County80 pts
94Lake County7.7-1 pts
95Grundy County7.1-0.8 pts
96Will County7-0.2 pts
97Piatt County6.3-0.5 pts
98DuPage County6.2-0.8 pts
99McHenry County6.1-1.2 pts
100Woodford County5.8-0.8 pts
101Monroe County4.9+0.1 pts
102Kendall County4.8+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/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.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 30.3% in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Kendall County, with 4.8% in 2017.

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