Counties in Illinois by poverty rate

Alexander County had the highest poverty rate of 102 counties in 2023, at 25.8%. Monroe County had the lowest, at 4.9%. The median was 12.4% and the figure for Illinois was 11.6%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest25.8Alexander County
Lowest4.9Monroe County
Median12.4102 counties
Illinois11.6History

Top 40 counties, 2023

CSVChart (SVG)

Alexander CountyAlexander County: 25.8 %25.8Pulaski CountyPulaski County: 22.4 %22.4Jackson CountyJackson County: 20.7 %20.7McDonough CountyMcDonough County: 19.9 %19.9Vermilion CountyVermilion County: 19.5 %19.5Hardin CountyHardin County: 19.2 %19.2Saline CountySaline County: 18.5 %18.5Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 18.3 %18.3Franklin CountyFranklin County: 17.9 %17.9Massac CountyMassac County: 17.7 %17.7Gallatin CountyGallatin County: 17.5 %17.5Coles CountyColes County: 17.3 %17.3Fayette CountyFayette County: 17 %17Perry CountyPerry County: 17 %17Peoria CountyPeoria County: 16.8 %16.8Williamson CountyWilliamson County: 16.8 %16.8Knox CountyKnox County: 16.3 %16.3Champaign CountyChampaign County: 16.2 %16.2Pope CountyPope County: 16.1 %16.1Marion CountyMarion County: 16 %16Union CountyUnion County: 15.9 %15.9Macon CountyMacon County: 15.7 %15.7Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 15.4 %15.4Johnson CountyJohnson County: 15.2 %15.2Pike CountyPike County: 15 %15Clay CountyClay County: 14.9 %14.9Mason CountyMason County: 14.9 %14.9White CountyWhite County: 14.9 %14.9Rock Island CountyRock Island County: 14.8 %14.8Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 14.7 %14.7Winnebago CountyWinnebago County: 14.7 %14.7Logan CountyLogan County: 14.4 %14.4Wabash CountyWabash County: 14.4 %14.4Crawford CountyCrawford County: 14.2 %14.2Edwards CountyEdwards County: 13.9 %13.9Morgan CountyMorgan County: 13.9 %13.9Greene CountyGreene County: 13.8 %13.8Brown CountyBrown County: 13.7 %13.7Schuyler CountySchuyler County: 13.7 %13.7Bond CountyBond County: 13.6 %13.6
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2023 (%)Change on 2022
1Alexander County25.8+2.4 pts
2Pulaski County22.4-2.1 pts
3Jackson County20.7-2.6 pts
4McDonough County19.9-0.5 pts
5Vermilion County19.5+2.2 pts
6Hardin County19.2+1.4 pts
7Saline County18.5-0.4 pts
8Lawrence County18.3+1.7 pts
9Franklin County17.9-1.6 pts
10Massac County17.7+2.5 pts
11Gallatin County17.5-1.6 pts
12Coles County17.3-0.2 pts
13Fayette County17+3.7 pts
13Perry County17+2.1 pts
15Peoria County16.8+3 pts
15Williamson County16.8+4.1 pts
17Knox County16.3+1.3 pts
18Champaign County16.2-2.8 pts
19Pope County16.1+0.2 pts
20Marion County16+0.7 pts
21Union County15.9-4.8 pts
22Macon County15.7+0.9 pts
23Jefferson County15.4+0.7 pts
24Johnson County15.2-0.3 pts
25Pike County15-1.6 pts
26Clay County14.9+1.4 pts
26Mason County14.9+2.2 pts
26White County14.9-0.2 pts
29Rock Island County14.80 pts
30Montgomery County14.7-0.4 pts
30Winnebago County14.7-0.7 pts
32Logan County14.4+0.8 pts
32Wabash County14.4+0.5 pts
34Crawford County14.2+2.3 pts
35Edwards County13.9+2.7 pts
35Morgan County13.9+1.9 pts
37Greene County13.8+0.5 pts
38Brown County13.7-0.2 pts
38Schuyler County13.7-0.9 pts
40Bond County13.6+1.6 pts
40Edgar County13.6-0.6 pts
42St. Clair County13.4-2.3 pts
43Cook County13.2-0.5 pts
43Henderson County13.2+1.2 pts
45Richland County13.1-1.4 pts
46Hancock County13+0.7 pts
46Macoupin County13+0.9 pts
48Carroll County12.9+0.1 pts
49Stephenson County12.7-1.3 pts
49Wayne County12.7-1 pts
51DeKalb County12.5-0.7 pts
52Iroquois County12.3+0.3 pts
53Adams County12.2-1.2 pts
54Christian County12.1-3.5 pts
54Warren County12.1-3.5 pts
56Clark County12+0.6 pts
57Sangamon County11.9+0.7 pts
58Fulton County11.8-1.1 pts
58Randolph County11.8-2.8 pts
60Cass County11.6-0.2 pts
60LaSalle County11.6-2.9 pts
62Kankakee County11.5-2.1 pts
63Bureau County11.4-1.2 pts
63Scott County11.4-0.1 pts
63Whiteside County11.4-1.5 pts
66Hamilton County11.3-2.1 pts
66Stark County11.3-0.1 pts
68Cumberland County11.2+1.8 pts
69Livingston County11.1-0.9 pts
69Madison County11.1-1.2 pts
71Ford County11-0.8 pts
71McLean County11-0.2 pts
71Moultrie County11+0.8 pts
74Boone County10.8+1.7 pts
74De Witt County10.80 pts
74Jersey County10.8+0.8 pts
77Shelby County10.6-0.7 pts
78Menard County10.3+1.7 pts
79Marshall County10.2-1.6 pts
80Lee County10.1-2 pts
81Calhoun County9.9-0.5 pts
82Effingham County9.8+0.6 pts
82Mercer County9.8+1.2 pts
84Henry County9.6+0.9 pts
85Jasper County9.4-1.2 pts
86Ogle County9.2+0.7 pts
87Douglas County9+0.3 pts
88Tazewell County8.90 pts
89Putnam County8.8+1.3 pts
90Washington County8.7+0.6 pts
91Jo Daviess County8.6+0.1 pts
92Kane County8.4+0.3 pts
93Lake County8.20 pts
94Clinton County7.5-0.7 pts
95Will County7.2+0.1 pts
96Woodford County6.90 pts
97Grundy County6.8-0.2 pts
97Piatt County6.8-0.5 pts
99DuPage County6.6-0.2 pts
100McHenry County6.3+0.4 pts
101Kendall County5.1-0.7 pts
102Monroe County4.9-1.2 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/2023/2023-state-and-county/est23all.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 25.8% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Monroe County, with 4.9% in 2023.

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