Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) / Cities in Illinois

Cities in Illinois by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)

Carbondale, IL had the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 224 cities in 2021, at 40.5%. River Forest, IL had the lowest, at 1.1%. The median was 8.8% and the figure for Illinois was 11.8%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest40.5Carbondale, IL
Lowest1.1River Forest, IL
Median8.8224 cities
Illinois11.8History

Top 40 cities, 2021

Carbondale, IL: 40.5 %Carbondale, IL40.5Riverdale, IL: 30.1 %Riverdale, IL30.1East St. Louis, IL: 29.3 %East St. Louis, IL29.3Harvey, IL: 28.5 %Harvey, IL28.5Danville, IL: 28.5 %Danville, IL28.5Kankakee, IL: 28.2 %Kankakee, IL28.2Urbana, IL: 27.1 %Urbana, IL27.1DeKalb, IL: 26.8 %DeKalb, IL26.8Charleston, IL: 26.7 %Charleston, IL26.7Macomb, IL: 26.7 %Macomb, IL26.7Normal, IL: 25.6 %Normal, IL25.6Alton, IL: 24.4 %Alton, IL24.4Centralia, IL: 23.8 %Centralia, IL23.8Justice, IL: 23.6 %Justice, IL23.6Champaign, IL: 23.5 %Champaign, IL23.5Chicago Heights, IL: 22.8 %Chicago Heights, IL22.8Mattoon, IL: 22.5 %Mattoon, IL22.5Streator, IL: 22.1 %Streator, IL22.1Rockford, IL: 22 %Rockford, IL22Rock Island, IL: 21.7 %Rock Island, IL21.7Calumet City, IL: 21.5 %Calumet City, IL21.5North Chicago, IL: 21.4 %North Chicago, IL21.4Mount Vernon, IL: 21 %Mount Vernon, IL21Markham, IL: 21 %Markham, IL21Kewanee, IL: 20.9 %Kewanee, IL20.9Freeport, IL: 20.3 %Freeport, IL20.3Chicago Ridge, IL: 20.1 %Chicago Ridge, IL20.1Galesburg, IL: 19.8 %Galesburg, IL19.8Peoria, IL: 19.7 %Peoria, IL19.7Decatur, IL: 19.7 %Decatur, IL19.7Dolton, IL: 19.6 %Dolton, IL19.6Rantoul, IL: 19.3 %Rantoul, IL19.3Springfield, IL: 18.5 %Springfield, IL18.5Blue Island, IL: 18.3 %Blue Island, IL18.3Hazel Crest, IL: 18 %Hazel Crest, IL18Granite City, IL: 18 %Granite City, IL18Jacksonville, IL: 17.9 %Jacksonville, IL17.9Effingham, IL: 17.7 %Effingham, IL17.7Marion, IL: 17.5 %Marion, IL17.5Canton, IL: 17.3 %Canton, IL17.3Carbondale, IL: 40.5 %Carbondale, IL40.5Riverdale, IL: 30.1 %Riverdale, IL30.1East St. Louis, IL: 29.3 %East St. Louis, IL29.3Harvey, IL: 28.5 %Harvey, IL28.5Danville, IL: 28.5 %Danville, IL28.5Kankakee, IL: 28.2 %Kankakee, IL28.2Urbana, IL: 27.1 %Urbana, IL27.1DeKalb, IL: 26.8 %DeKalb, IL26.8Charleston, IL: 26.7 %Charleston, IL26.7Macomb, IL: 26.7 %Macomb, IL26.7Normal, IL: 25.6 %Normal, IL25.6Alton, IL: 24.4 %Alton, IL24.4Centralia, IL: 23.8 %Centralia, IL23.8Justice, IL: 23.6 %Justice, IL23.6Champaign, IL: 23.5 %Champaign, IL23.5Chicago Heights, IL: 22.8 %Chicago Heights, IL22.8Mattoon, IL: 22.5 %Mattoon, IL22.5Streator, IL: 22.1 %Streator, IL22.1Rockford, IL: 22 %Rockford, IL22Rock Island, IL: 21.7 %Rock Island, IL21.7Calumet City, IL: 21.5 %Calumet City, IL21.5North Chicago, IL: 21.4 %North Chicago, IL21.4Mount Vernon, IL: 21 %Mount Vernon, IL21Markham, IL: 21 %Markham, IL21Kewanee, IL: 20.9 %Kewanee, IL20.9Freeport, IL: 20.3 %Freeport, IL20.3Chicago Ridge, IL: 20.1 %Chicago Ridge, IL20.1Galesburg, IL: 19.8 %Galesburg, IL19.8Peoria, IL: 19.7 %Peoria, IL19.7Decatur, IL: 19.7 %Decatur, IL19.7Dolton, IL: 19.6 %Dolton, IL19.6Rantoul, IL: 19.3 %Rantoul, IL19.3Springfield, IL: 18.5 %Springfield, IL18.5Blue Island, IL: 18.3 %Blue Island, IL18.3Hazel Crest, IL: 18 %Hazel Crest, IL18Granite City, IL: 18 %Granite City, IL18Jacksonville, IL: 17.9 %Jacksonville, IL17.9Effingham, IL: 17.7 %Effingham, IL17.7Marion, IL: 17.5 %Marion, IL17.5Canton, IL: 17.3 %Canton, IL17.3
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2021 (%)
1Carbondale, IL40.5
2Riverdale, IL30.1
3East St. Louis, IL29.3
4Harvey, IL28.5
5Danville, IL28.5
6Kankakee, IL28.2
7Urbana, IL27.1
8DeKalb, IL26.8
9Charleston, IL26.7
9Macomb, IL26.7
11Normal, IL25.6
12Alton, IL24.4
13Centralia, IL23.8
14Justice, IL23.6
15Champaign, IL23.5
16Chicago Heights, IL22.8
17Mattoon, IL22.5
18Streator, IL22.1
19Rockford, IL22
20Rock Island, IL21.7
21Calumet City, IL21.5
22North Chicago, IL21.4
23Mount Vernon, IL21
24Markham, IL21
25Kewanee, IL20.9
26Freeport, IL20.3
27Chicago Ridge, IL20.1
28Galesburg, IL19.8
29Peoria, IL19.7
30Decatur, IL19.7
31Dolton, IL19.6
32Rantoul, IL19.3
33Springfield, IL18.5
34Blue Island, IL18.3
35Hazel Crest, IL18
36Granite City, IL18
37Jacksonville, IL17.9
38Effingham, IL17.7
39Marion, IL17.5
40Canton, IL17.3
41Chicago, IL17.1
42Dixon, IL16.8
43Wood River, IL16.4
44Worth, IL16
45Ottawa, IL15.6
46Lansing, IL15.4
47Sterling, IL15.2
48Moline, IL15.1
49Waukegan, IL15.1
50Park Forest, IL15.1
51Pekin, IL15
52Bridgeview, IL15
53Zion, IL14.9
54Maywood, IL14.7
55Belleville, IL14.7
55Pontiac, IL14.7
57Belvidere, IL14.4
57Quincy, IL14.4
59Taylorville, IL14.3
60Edwardsville, IL14.3
61Lincoln, IL14.1
62Herrin, IL14.1
63East Moline, IL14
64Hanover Park, IL13.9
65Summit, IL13.8
66Cicero, IL13.6
67South Holland, IL13.6
68Bloomington, IL13.5
69Loves Park, IL13.1
70Fox Lake, IL13.1
71Collinsville, IL12.9
72Matteson, IL12.8
73Melrose Park, IL12.8
74Franklin Park, IL12.7
75Northlake, IL12.1
76Evanston, IL11.9
76Midlothian, IL11.9
78Addison, IL11.6
79Berwyn, IL11.6
80Westmont, IL11.5
81West Chicago, IL11.3
82Burbank, IL11.1
83Palatine, IL11.1
84Carpentersville, IL11
85Schiller Park, IL11
86Richton Park, IL10.9
87River Grove, IL10.9
88Joliet, IL10.8
89Machesney Park, IL10.7
90East Peoria, IL10.6
91Forest Park, IL10.5
92Country Club Hills, IL10.5
92Crest Hill, IL10.5
94Aurora, IL10.3
95Bellwood, IL10.2
96Oak Lawn, IL10.2
97Palos Hills, IL10
98Crestwood, IL9.9
99Montgomery, IL9.7
100Hickory Hills, IL9.7
101Glendale Heights, IL9.6
102Elgin, IL9.5
103Sycamore, IL9.5
104Shiloh, IL9.4
105Skokie, IL9.1
106Bradley, IL9.1
107Wheeling, IL9
108Highland, IL8.9
109Bensenville, IL8.9
110Antioch, IL8.8
110Woodstock, IL8.8
112Fairview Heights, IL8.8
113Homewood, IL8.8
114Lyons, IL8.6
115Round Lake, IL8.6
116Prospect Heights, IL8.6
117Plano, IL8.4
118Morris, IL8.4
119Bourbonnais, IL8.3
120Alsip, IL8.2
121Warrenville, IL8.1
122Des Plaines, IL8
123McHenry, IL8
124Bolingbrook, IL7.9
124Niles, IL7.9
126Beach Park, IL7.9
127Streamwood, IL7.8
128Round Lake Beach, IL7.7
129Glen Carbon, IL7.6
130Morton Grove, IL7.4
131Bloomingdale, IL7.4
132Mundelein, IL7.4
133Swansea, IL7.3
134Carol Stream, IL7.3
135Lockport, IL7.1
136Troy, IL6.8
137Palos Heights, IL6.7
138Oak Park, IL6.7
139Lombard, IL6.6
140Romeoville, IL6.6
141Pingree Grove, IL6.4
142North Aurora, IL6.4
143Grayslake, IL6.3
143Rolling Meadows, IL6.3
145Brookfield, IL6.2
146Schaumburg, IL6
147Lisle, IL6
147South Elgin, IL6
149Godfrey, IL6
150Huntley, IL5.9
151Lincolnwood, IL5.9
152Villa Park, IL5.8
153Crystal Lake, IL5.8
154Morton, IL5.7
155Vernon Hills, IL5.6
156La Grange Park, IL5.6
157Evergreen Park, IL5.5
158Elmwood Park, IL5.5
159Elk Grove Village, IL5.5
160Tinley Park, IL5.4
161Glenview, IL5.3
161Wheaton, IL5.3
163Buffalo Grove, IL5.2
163Wood Dale, IL5.2
165Hoffman Estates, IL5.2
166Downers Grove, IL5.2
167Barrington, IL5.1
168Glen Ellyn, IL5.1
169Orland Park, IL5
170Mokena, IL5
171Washington, IL4.9
172Oak Forest, IL4.9
173Darien, IL4.9
174Burr Ridge, IL4.8
174O'Fallon, IL4.8
176Algonquin, IL4.8
176Batavia, IL4.8
178Columbia, IL4.8
179Gurnee, IL4.7
180Arlington Heights, IL4.7
181Mount Prospect, IL4.7
182Lemont, IL4.6
183Lindenhurst, IL4.6
183Woodridge, IL4.6
185Chatham, IL4.3
186Elmhurst, IL4.1
186Wauconda, IL4.1
188Park Ridge, IL4.1
189Naperville, IL4
190Channahon, IL3.8
191Lake Zurich, IL3.8
192La Grange, IL3.7
193Bartlett, IL3.6
194Roscoe, IL3.5
194St. Charles, IL3.5
196Northbrook, IL3.5
197Manhattan, IL3.5
198Roselle, IL3.4
199Deerfield, IL3.4
200Homer Glen, IL3.4
201Westchester, IL3.3
202Highland Park, IL3.2
203Lake in the Hills, IL3.1
204Minooka, IL3.1
205Cary, IL3.1
206Lake Forest, IL3.1
207Norridge, IL3.1
208Shorewood, IL3
209Libertyville, IL2.8
210Waterloo, IL2.8
211Wilmette, IL2.7
212Yorkville, IL2.7
213New Lenox, IL2.5
214Geneva, IL2.4
215Western Springs, IL2.4
216Plainfield, IL2.3
217Campton Hills, IL2.3
218Frankfort, IL2.2
219Oswego, IL2.2
220Winnetka, IL2.1
221Mahomet, IL2.1
222Winfield, IL1.7
223Hinsdale, IL1.6
224River Forest, IL1.1

Other periods

About this ranking

People with income in the past 12 months below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people whose poverty status is determined. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

The headline single-year rate for states and counties is poverty_rate (SAIPE). Poverty status is not determined for people in institutions, military group quarters or college dormitories, or for unrelated children under 15. 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 cities are compared on one definition. 1 cities with data in other periods have no value for 2021 and are left out rather than filled from another source. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more) (Cities in Illinois by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in Illinois by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/illinois-cities?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Cities in Illinois by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/illinois-cities?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in Illinois by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/illinois-cities?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_illinois_by_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in Illinois by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/illinois-cities?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in Illinois by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2021
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/illinois-cities?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/illinois-cities?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Rank Cities in Illinois by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which city has the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Carbondale, IL, with 40.5% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which city has the lowest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

River Forest, IL, with 1.1% 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, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Retrieved 2026-10-12. 1 cities have no value for 2021 and are not ranked.

Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate): other rankings

Cities in Illinois: more rankings