Counties in Illinois by poverty rate

Pulaski County had the highest poverty rate of 102 counties in 2022, at 24.5%. Kendall County had the lowest, at 5.8%. The median was 12.8% and the figure for Illinois was 11.9%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest24.5Pulaski County
Median12.8102 counties
Illinois11.9History

Top 40 counties, 2022

CSVChart (SVG)

Pulaski CountyPulaski County: 24.5 %24.5Alexander CountyAlexander County: 23.4 %23.4Jackson CountyJackson County: 23.3 %23.3Union CountyUnion County: 20.7 %20.7McDonough CountyMcDonough County: 20.4 %20.4Franklin CountyFranklin County: 19.5 %19.5Gallatin CountyGallatin County: 19.1 %19.1Champaign CountyChampaign County: 19 %19Saline CountySaline County: 18.9 %18.9Hardin CountyHardin County: 17.8 %17.8Coles CountyColes County: 17.5 %17.5Vermilion CountyVermilion County: 17.3 %17.3Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 16.6 %16.6Pike CountyPike County: 16.6 %16.6Pope CountyPope County: 15.9 %15.9St. Clair CountySt. Clair County: 15.7 %15.7Christian CountyChristian County: 15.6 %15.6Warren CountyWarren County: 15.6 %15.6Johnson CountyJohnson County: 15.5 %15.5Winnebago CountyWinnebago County: 15.4 %15.4Marion CountyMarion County: 15.3 %15.3Massac CountyMassac County: 15.2 %15.2Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 15.1 %15.1White CountyWhite County: 15.1 %15.1Knox CountyKnox County: 15 %15Perry CountyPerry County: 14.9 %14.9Macon CountyMacon County: 14.8 %14.8Rock Island CountyRock Island County: 14.8 %14.8Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 14.7 %14.7Randolph CountyRandolph County: 14.6 %14.6Schuyler CountySchuyler County: 14.6 %14.6LaSalle CountyLaSalle County: 14.5 %14.5Richland CountyRichland County: 14.5 %14.5Edgar CountyEdgar County: 14.2 %14.2Stephenson CountyStephenson County: 14 %14Brown CountyBrown County: 13.9 %13.9Wabash CountyWabash County: 13.9 %13.9Peoria CountyPeoria County: 13.8 %13.8Cook CountyCook County: 13.7 %13.7Wayne CountyWayne County: 13.7 %13.7
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2022 (%)Change on 2021
1Pulaski County24.5+2.2 pts
2Alexander County23.4+1.6 pts
3Jackson County23.3+1 pts
4Union County20.7+3.7 pts
5McDonough County20.4+2.5 pts
6Franklin County19.5+3 pts
7Gallatin County19.1+1.7 pts
8Champaign County19+4 pts
9Saline County18.9+1.3 pts
10Hardin County17.8-0.9 pts
11Coles County17.5+0.1 pts
12Vermilion County17.3-2.4 pts
13Lawrence County16.6-2.6 pts
13Pike County16.6+2.9 pts
15Pope County15.9-1.2 pts
16St. Clair County15.7+2.4 pts
17Christian County15.6+3.6 pts
17Warren County15.6+2.3 pts
19Johnson County15.5+2.2 pts
20Winnebago County15.4+1.2 pts
21Marion County15.3-0.2 pts
22Massac County15.2-1.3 pts
23Montgomery County15.1+1.9 pts
23White County15.1-0.6 pts
25Knox County15+0.3 pts
26Perry County14.9-1.7 pts
27Macon County14.8-2.3 pts
27Rock Island County14.8-1.7 pts
29Jefferson County14.7-0.6 pts
30Randolph County14.6-0.4 pts
30Schuyler County14.6+2.3 pts
32LaSalle County14.5+1.3 pts
32Richland County14.5+0.3 pts
34Edgar County14.2+1.2 pts
35Stephenson County14+1.9 pts
36Brown County13.9-2.7 pts
36Wabash County13.9-0.6 pts
38Peoria County13.8-2.5 pts
39Cook County13.7-0.1 pts
39Wayne County13.7-0.6 pts
41Kankakee County13.6+0.2 pts
41Logan County13.6+0.1 pts
43Clay County13.5-0.6 pts
44Adams County13.4+1.6 pts
44Hamilton County13.4+0.2 pts
46Fayette County13.3-2 pts
46Greene County13.3-0.8 pts
48DeKalb County13.2-1 pts
49Fulton County12.9-2.3 pts
49Whiteside County12.9-0.3 pts
51Carroll County12.8-0.7 pts
52Mason County12.7+0.3 pts
52Williamson County12.7-2 pts
54Bureau County12.6+0.5 pts
55Hancock County12.3+0.4 pts
55Madison County12.3+0.9 pts
57Lee County12.1-1.1 pts
57Macoupin County12.1-3.3 pts
59Bond County12-1.5 pts
59Henderson County12-0.3 pts
59Iroquois County12+1.4 pts
59Livingston County12+0.3 pts
59Morgan County12-2.1 pts
64Crawford County11.9-1.7 pts
65Cass County11.8+0.4 pts
65Ford County11.8+0.6 pts
65Marshall County11.8+1.9 pts
68Scott County11.50 pts
69Clark County11.4+1.2 pts
69Stark County11.40 pts
71Shelby County11.3+1 pts
72Edwards County11.2-0.8 pts
72McLean County11.2-2.2 pts
72Sangamon County11.2-3.2 pts
75De Witt County10.8+0.1 pts
76Jasper County10.6+0.7 pts
77Calhoun County10.4+0.3 pts
78Moultrie County10.2+0.6 pts
79Jersey County10+0.7 pts
80Cumberland County9.4-1 pts
81Effingham County9.2-0.1 pts
82Boone County9.1-1 pts
83Tazewell County8.9-0.4 pts
84Douglas County8.7-0.4 pts
84Henry County8.7-0.8 pts
86Menard County8.6+0.2 pts
86Mercer County8.6-2.4 pts
88Jo Daviess County8.5-0.1 pts
88Ogle County8.5+0.1 pts
90Clinton County8.2-0.9 pts
90Lake County8.2-0.3 pts
92Kane County8.1-0.5 pts
92Washington County8.1-0.4 pts
94Putnam County7.50 pts
95Piatt County7.3+0.8 pts
96Will County7.1-0.8 pts
97Grundy County7+0.4 pts
98Woodford County6.9+0.2 pts
99DuPage County6.8-0.1 pts
100Monroe County6.1+1.6 pts
101McHenry County5.9-0.1 pts
102Kendall County5.8+0.9 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/2022/2022-state-and-county/est22all.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?

Pulaski County, with 24.5% in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Kendall County, with 5.8% in 2022.

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