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 2020, at 24.2%. Kendall County had the lowest, at 3.9%. The median was 11.2% and the figure for Illinois was 11%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest24.2Alexander County
Lowest3.9Kendall County
Median11.2102 counties
Illinois11History

Top 40 counties, 2020

CSVChart (SVG)

Alexander CountyAlexander County: 24.2 %24.2Pulaski CountyPulaski County: 20.4 %20.4Vermilion CountyVermilion County: 18.6 %18.6Hardin CountyHardin County: 18 %18Coles CountyColes County: 17.5 %17.5Jackson CountyJackson County: 17.2 %17.2McDonough CountyMcDonough County: 16.8 %16.8Brown CountyBrown County: 16.7 %16.7Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 16.5 %16.5Gallatin CountyGallatin County: 15.6 %15.6Pope CountyPope County: 15.6 %15.6Franklin CountyFranklin County: 15.5 %15.5White CountyWhite County: 15.4 %15.4Saline CountySaline County: 15.3 %15.3Champaign CountyChampaign County: 15.1 %15.1Perry CountyPerry County: 15.1 %15.1Johnson CountyJohnson County: 14.9 %14.9Massac CountyMassac County: 14.8 %14.8Fayette CountyFayette County: 14.7 %14.7Winnebago CountyWinnebago County: 14.6 %14.6Marion CountyMarion County: 14.2 %14.2Peoria CountyPeoria County: 14.2 %14.2Union CountyUnion County: 14 %14Williamson CountyWilliamson County: 13.9 %13.9St. Clair CountySt. Clair County: 13.8 %13.8Kankakee CountyKankakee County: 13.6 %13.6Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 13.5 %13.5Pike CountyPike County: 13.5 %13.5Rock Island CountyRock Island County: 13.5 %13.5Knox CountyKnox County: 13.4 %13.4Mason CountyMason County: 13.4 %13.4Clay CountyClay County: 13.3 %13.3Greene CountyGreene County: 13.3 %13.3Fulton CountyFulton County: 13.2 %13.2Hamilton CountyHamilton County: 13 %13Cook CountyCook County: 12.9 %12.9Wayne CountyWayne County: 12.9 %12.9Macon CountyMacon County: 12.8 %12.8Sangamon CountySangamon County: 12.8 %12.8Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 12.5 %12.5
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2020 (%)Change on 2019
1Alexander County24.2+0.2 pts
2Pulaski County20.4-1.6 pts
3Vermilion County18.6+1.8 pts
4Hardin County180 pts
5Coles County17.5+0.7 pts
6Jackson County17.2-8.2 pts
7McDonough County16.8-6.5 pts
8Brown County16.7+1.9 pts
9Lawrence County16.5-1.9 pts
10Gallatin County15.6-3.4 pts
10Pope County15.6-1.3 pts
12Franklin County15.5-0.9 pts
13White County15.4+0.9 pts
14Saline County15.3-0.4 pts
15Champaign County15.1-4.8 pts
15Perry County15.1+0.7 pts
17Johnson County14.9+2 pts
18Massac County14.8-1.1 pts
19Fayette County14.7-0.4 pts
20Winnebago County14.6-1.5 pts
21Marion County14.2-0.8 pts
21Peoria County14.2-0.6 pts
23Union County14-3.2 pts
24Williamson County13.9+0.5 pts
25St. Clair County13.8+0.5 pts
26Kankakee County13.6+0.9 pts
27Montgomery County13.5-2.5 pts
27Pike County13.5-0.9 pts
27Rock Island County13.5-0.1 pts
30Knox County13.4-5.2 pts
30Mason County13.4+1.3 pts
32Clay County13.3-0.5 pts
32Greene County13.3-0.4 pts
34Fulton County13.2-0.1 pts
35Hamilton County13+0.3 pts
36Cook County12.9-0.1 pts
36Wayne County12.9-0.2 pts
38Macon County12.8-3.9 pts
38Sangamon County12.8+0.6 pts
40Jefferson County12.5-2.4 pts
41Morgan County12.4-1.4 pts
42Cass County12.2-0.8 pts
43Randolph County12-0.7 pts
44Richland County11.9-1.2 pts
45Edgar County11.7-1.5 pts
45Schuyler County11.7+0.4 pts
45Wabash County11.7-1.8 pts
48Logan County11.6-1.2 pts
49LaSalle County11.4-0.8 pts
50Hancock County11.2-1.1 pts
50Iroquois County11.2-0.4 pts
50Stephenson County11.2-0.3 pts
53Crawford County11-1.6 pts
53Madison County11+0.1 pts
55Bond County10.8-2.2 pts
55DeKalb County10.8-2.2 pts
55Macoupin County10.8-2.7 pts
55Scott County10.8-0.4 pts
55Stark County10.8-0.4 pts
60Adams County10.7-1.6 pts
60Edwards County10.7-1.1 pts
60McLean County10.7-3.6 pts
60Warren County10.7-0.7 pts
64Henderson County10.6-0.4 pts
64Lee County10.6-1.4 pts
66Carroll County10.5-0.6 pts
67Clark County10.4-0.4 pts
68Bureau County10-1.2 pts
69Christian County9.9-2.4 pts
69De Witt County9.9-1.1 pts
69Livingston County9.9-3.1 pts
72Henry County9.6+0.9 pts
72Jasper County9.6-0.3 pts
74Ford County9.5-0.5 pts
75Effingham County9.3+0.1 pts
75Marshall County9.3+0.3 pts
77Calhoun County9.2-0.5 pts
78Jo Daviess County9.1-0.2 pts
78Moultrie County9.1+0.5 pts
78Whiteside County9.1-2.3 pts
81Cumberland County8.9-1.2 pts
81Shelby County8.9-0.5 pts
83Mercer County8.8+0.7 pts
84Jersey County8.5-1.9 pts
85Ogle County8.3-1.1 pts
86Douglas County8.2+0.2 pts
87Menard County7.9-0.3 pts
88Tazewell County7.6-0.6 pts
88Washington County7.6-0.5 pts
90Kane County7.3-0.9 pts
90Putnam County7.3-0.3 pts
92Will County7.2+0.7 pts
93Clinton County7.1-0.4 pts
94Lake County7-0.2 pts
95Boone County6.8-2.1 pts
96Piatt County6.4-0.1 pts
97McHenry County6.3+0.9 pts
98Woodford County6.2+0.1 pts
99DuPage County5.9-0.1 pts
99Grundy County5.9+0.3 pts
101Monroe County4.1-0.1 pts
102Kendall County3.9-0.1 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/2020/2020-state-and-county/est20all.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 24.2% in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Kendall County, with 3.9% in 2020.

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