Counties in Illinois by poverty rate

Jackson County had the highest poverty rate of 102 counties in 2021, at 22.3%. Monroe County had the lowest, at 4.5%. The median was 13.2% and the figure for Illinois was 12.1%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest22.3Jackson County
Lowest4.5Monroe County
Median13.2102 counties
Illinois12.1History

Top 40 counties, 2021

CSVChart (SVG)

Jackson CountyJackson County: 22.3 %22.3Pulaski CountyPulaski County: 22.3 %22.3Alexander CountyAlexander County: 21.8 %21.8Vermilion CountyVermilion County: 19.7 %19.7Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 19.2 %19.2Hardin CountyHardin County: 18.7 %18.7McDonough CountyMcDonough County: 17.9 %17.9Saline CountySaline County: 17.6 %17.6Coles CountyColes County: 17.4 %17.4Gallatin CountyGallatin County: 17.4 %17.4Macon CountyMacon County: 17.1 %17.1Pope CountyPope County: 17.1 %17.1Union CountyUnion County: 17 %17Brown CountyBrown County: 16.6 %16.6Perry CountyPerry County: 16.6 %16.6Franklin CountyFranklin County: 16.5 %16.5Massac CountyMassac County: 16.5 %16.5Rock Island CountyRock Island County: 16.5 %16.5Peoria CountyPeoria County: 16.3 %16.3White CountyWhite County: 15.7 %15.7Marion CountyMarion County: 15.5 %15.5Macoupin CountyMacoupin County: 15.4 %15.4Fayette CountyFayette County: 15.3 %15.3Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 15.3 %15.3Fulton CountyFulton County: 15.2 %15.2Champaign CountyChampaign County: 15 %15Randolph CountyRandolph County: 15 %15Knox CountyKnox County: 14.7 %14.7Williamson CountyWilliamson County: 14.7 %14.7Wabash CountyWabash County: 14.5 %14.5Sangamon CountySangamon County: 14.4 %14.4Wayne CountyWayne County: 14.3 %14.3DeKalb CountyDeKalb County: 14.2 %14.2Richland CountyRichland County: 14.2 %14.2Winnebago CountyWinnebago County: 14.2 %14.2Clay CountyClay County: 14.1 %14.1Greene CountyGreene County: 14.1 %14.1Morgan CountyMorgan County: 14.1 %14.1Cook CountyCook County: 13.8 %13.8Pike CountyPike County: 13.7 %13.7
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)Change on 2020
1Jackson County22.3+5.1 pts
1Pulaski County22.3+1.9 pts
3Alexander County21.8-2.4 pts
4Vermilion County19.7+1.1 pts
5Lawrence County19.2+2.7 pts
6Hardin County18.7+0.7 pts
7McDonough County17.9+1.1 pts
8Saline County17.6+2.3 pts
9Coles County17.4-0.1 pts
9Gallatin County17.4+1.8 pts
11Macon County17.1+4.3 pts
11Pope County17.1+1.5 pts
13Union County17+3 pts
14Brown County16.6-0.1 pts
14Perry County16.6+1.5 pts
16Franklin County16.5+1 pts
16Massac County16.5+1.7 pts
16Rock Island County16.5+3 pts
19Peoria County16.3+2.1 pts
20White County15.7+0.3 pts
21Marion County15.5+1.3 pts
22Macoupin County15.4+4.6 pts
23Fayette County15.3+0.6 pts
23Jefferson County15.3+2.8 pts
25Fulton County15.2+2 pts
26Champaign County15-0.1 pts
26Randolph County15+3 pts
28Knox County14.7+1.3 pts
28Williamson County14.7+0.8 pts
30Wabash County14.5+2.8 pts
31Sangamon County14.4+1.6 pts
32Wayne County14.3+1.4 pts
33DeKalb County14.2+3.4 pts
33Richland County14.2+2.3 pts
33Winnebago County14.2-0.4 pts
36Clay County14.1+0.8 pts
36Greene County14.1+0.8 pts
36Morgan County14.1+1.7 pts
39Cook County13.8+0.9 pts
40Pike County13.7+0.2 pts
41Crawford County13.6+2.6 pts
42Bond County13.5+2.7 pts
42Carroll County13.5+3 pts
42Logan County13.5+1.9 pts
45Kankakee County13.4-0.2 pts
45McLean County13.4+2.7 pts
47Johnson County13.3-1.6 pts
47St. Clair County13.3-0.5 pts
47Warren County13.3+2.6 pts
50Hamilton County13.2+0.2 pts
50LaSalle County13.2+1.8 pts
50Lee County13.2+2.6 pts
50Montgomery County13.2-0.3 pts
50Whiteside County13.2+4.1 pts
55Edgar County13+1.3 pts
56Mason County12.4-1 pts
57Henderson County12.3+1.7 pts
57Schuyler County12.3+0.6 pts
59Bureau County12.1+2.1 pts
59Stephenson County12.1+0.9 pts
61Christian County12+2.1 pts
61Edwards County12+1.3 pts
63Hancock County11.9+0.7 pts
64Adams County11.8+1.1 pts
65Livingston County11.7+1.8 pts
66Scott County11.5+0.7 pts
67Cass County11.4-0.8 pts
67Madison County11.4+0.4 pts
67Stark County11.4+0.6 pts
70Ford County11.2+1.7 pts
71Mercer County11+2.2 pts
72De Witt County10.7+0.8 pts
73Iroquois County10.6-0.6 pts
74Cumberland County10.4+1.5 pts
75Shelby County10.3+1.4 pts
76Clark County10.2-0.2 pts
77Boone County10.1+3.3 pts
77Calhoun County10.1+0.9 pts
79Jasper County9.9+0.3 pts
79Marshall County9.9+0.6 pts
81Moultrie County9.6+0.5 pts
82Henry County9.5-0.1 pts
83Effingham County9.30 pts
83Jersey County9.3+0.8 pts
83Tazewell County9.3+1.7 pts
86Clinton County9.1+2 pts
86Douglas County9.1+0.9 pts
88Jo Daviess County8.6-0.5 pts
88Kane County8.6+1.3 pts
90Lake County8.5+1.5 pts
90Washington County8.5+0.9 pts
92Menard County8.4+0.5 pts
92Ogle County8.4+0.1 pts
94Will County7.9+0.7 pts
95Putnam County7.5+0.2 pts
96DuPage County6.9+1 pts
97Woodford County6.7+0.5 pts
98Grundy County6.6+0.7 pts
99Piatt County6.5+0.1 pts
100McHenry County6-0.3 pts
101Kendall County4.9+1 pts
102Monroe County4.5+0.4 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/2021/2021-state-and-county/est21all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Use this data in your AI agent

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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?

Jackson County, with 22.3% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Monroe County, with 4.5% in 2021.

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