Data / Rankings / Rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income) / Counties in Illinois

Counties in Illinois by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income)

Jackson County had the highest rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income) of 102 counties in 2021, at 56.3%. Cumberland County had the lowest, at 19.8%. The median was 42.7% and the figure for Illinois was 47%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest56.3Jackson County
Lowest19.8Cumberland County
Median42.7102 counties
Illinois47History

Map of counties, 2021

Adams County: 41.7 %Alexander County: 32.1 %Bond County: 48.3 %Boone County: 50 %Brown County: 29.3 %Bureau County: 42.5 %Calhoun County: 44.7 %Carroll County: 42.8 %Cass County: 22.5 %Champaign County: 52.5 %Christian County: 39.5 %Clark County: 41.7 %Clay County: 33.6 %Clinton County: 39.4 %Coles County: 47 %Cook County: 47.7 %Crawford County: 39.3 %Cumberland County: 19.8 %DeKalb County: 51.7 %De Witt County: 44.7 %Douglas County: 45.7 %DuPage County: 43.6 %Edgar County: 43.4 %Edwards County: 43.2 %Effingham County: 30.8 %Fayette County: 46.1 %Ford County: 39.9 %Franklin County: 48.9 %Fulton County: 43 %Gallatin County: 35.7 %Greene County: 39.9 %Grundy County: 35.4 %Hamilton County: 31.4 %Hancock County: 36.8 %Hardin County: 21.2 %Henderson County: 44.1 %Henry County: 38 %Iroquois County: 47.1 %Jackson County: 56.3 %Jasper County: 36.6 %Jefferson County: 40.4 %Jersey County: 47.1 %Jo Daviess County: 41.1 %Johnson County: 55.4 %Kane County: 48.9 %Kankakee County: 51.2 %Kendall County: 47.7 %Knox County: 52.1 %Lake County: 46.2 %LaSalle County: 43.2 %Lawrence County: 38 %Lee County: 41 %Livingston County: 38.3 %Logan County: 36.5 %McDonough County: 55.9 %McHenry County: 48.8 %McLean County: 43.7 %Macon County: 44.6 %Macoupin County: 44.6 %Madison County: 48.8 %Marion County: 43.5 %Marshall County: 33.8 %Mason County: 43 %Massac County: 55.5 %Menard County: 34.3 %Mercer County: 41.8 %Monroe County: 44.6 %Montgomery County: 41.9 %Morgan County: 42.1 %Moultrie County: 33.6 %Ogle County: 38.1 %Peoria County: 46.6 %Perry County: 49.1 %Piatt County: 38.6 %Pike County: 38.4 %Pope County: 47.2 %Pulaski County: 40.5 %Putnam County: 42.6 %Randolph County: 37.2 %Richland County: 37.8 %Rock Island County: 45.9 %St. Clair County: 46.9 %Saline County: 51 %Sangamon County: 47.9 %Schuyler County: 25.8 %Scott County: 31.5 %Shelby County: 38.2 %Stark County: 39.3 %Stephenson County: 48.7 %Tazewell County: 41.8 %Union County: 46.3 %Vermilion County: 39.1 %Wabash County: 37.9 %Warren County: 34.7 %Washington County: 36.7 %Wayne County: 41 %White County: 31.5 %Whiteside County: 46.1 %Will County: 50.4 %Williamson County: 48.3 %Winnebago County: 48 %Woodford County: 45.9 %
  • Under 36
  • 36 to 39
  • 39 to 43
  • 43 to 46
  • 46 to 48
  • 48 and over
%, 2021. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2021

Jackson County: 56.3 %Jackson County56.3McDonough County: 55.9 %McDonough County55.9Massac County: 55.5 %Massac County55.5Johnson County: 55.4 %Johnson County55.4Champaign County: 52.5 %Champaign County52.5Knox County: 52.1 %Knox County52.1DeKalb County: 51.7 %DeKalb County51.7Kankakee County: 51.2 %Kankakee County51.2Saline County: 51 %Saline County51Will County: 50.4 %Will County50.4Boone County: 50 %Boone County50Perry County: 49.1 %Perry County49.1Kane County: 48.9 %Kane County48.9Franklin County: 48.9 %Franklin County48.9Madison County: 48.8 %Madison County48.8McHenry County: 48.8 %McHenry County48.8Stephenson County: 48.7 %Stephenson County48.7Williamson County: 48.3 %Williamson County48.3Bond County: 48.3 %Bond County48.3Winnebago County: 48 %Winnebago County48Sangamon County: 47.9 %Sangamon County47.9Cook County: 47.7 %Cook County47.7Kendall County: 47.7 %Kendall County47.7Pope County: 47.2 %Pope County47.2Jersey County: 47.1 %Jersey County47.1Iroquois County: 47.1 %Iroquois County47.1Coles County: 47 %Coles County47St. Clair County: 46.9 %St. Clair County46.9Peoria County: 46.6 %Peoria County46.6Union County: 46.3 %Union County46.3Lake County: 46.2 %Lake County46.2Whiteside County: 46.1 %Whiteside County46.1Fayette County: 46.1 %Fayette County46.1Rock Island County: 45.9 %Rock Island County45.9Woodford County: 45.9 %Woodford County45.9Douglas County: 45.7 %Douglas County45.7Calhoun County: 44.7 %Calhoun County44.7De Witt County: 44.7 %De Witt County44.7Macon County: 44.6 %Macon County44.6Monroe County: 44.6 %Monroe County44.6Jackson County: 56.3 %Jackson County56.3McDonough County: 55.9 %McDonough County55.9Massac County: 55.5 %Massac County55.5Johnson County: 55.4 %Johnson County55.4Champaign County: 52.5 %Champaign County52.5Knox County: 52.1 %Knox County52.1DeKalb County: 51.7 %DeKalb County51.7Kankakee County: 51.2 %Kankakee County51.2Saline County: 51 %Saline County51Will County: 50.4 %Will County50.4Boone County: 50 %Boone County50Perry County: 49.1 %Perry County49.1Kane County: 48.9 %Kane County48.9Franklin County: 48.9 %Franklin County48.9Madison County: 48.8 %Madison County48.8McHenry County: 48.8 %McHenry County48.8Stephenson County: 48.7 %Stephenson County48.7Williamson County: 48.3 %Williamson County48.3Bond County: 48.3 %Bond County48.3Winnebago County: 48 %Winnebago County48Sangamon County: 47.9 %Sangamon County47.9Cook County: 47.7 %Cook County47.7Kendall County: 47.7 %Kendall County47.7Pope County: 47.2 %Pope County47.2Jersey County: 47.1 %Jersey County47.1Iroquois County: 47.1 %Iroquois County47.1Coles County: 47 %Coles County47St. Clair County: 46.9 %St. Clair County46.9Peoria County: 46.6 %Peoria County46.6Union County: 46.3 %Union County46.3Lake County: 46.2 %Lake County46.2Whiteside County: 46.1 %Whiteside County46.1Fayette County: 46.1 %Fayette County46.1Rock Island County: 45.9 %Rock Island County45.9Woodford County: 45.9 %Woodford County45.9Douglas County: 45.7 %Douglas County45.7Calhoun County: 44.7 %Calhoun County44.7De Witt County: 44.7 %De Witt County44.7Macon County: 44.6 %Macon County44.6Monroe County: 44.6 %Monroe County44.6
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)
1Jackson County56.3
2McDonough County55.9
3Massac County55.5
4Johnson County55.4
5Champaign County52.5
6Knox County52.1
7DeKalb County51.7
8Kankakee County51.2
9Saline County51
10Will County50.4
11Boone County50
12Perry County49.1
13Kane County48.9
14Franklin County48.9
15Madison County48.8
16McHenry County48.8
17Stephenson County48.7
18Williamson County48.3
19Bond County48.3
20Winnebago County48
21Sangamon County47.9
22Cook County47.7
23Kendall County47.7
24Pope County47.2
25Jersey County47.1
26Iroquois County47.1
27Coles County47
28St. Clair County46.9
29Peoria County46.6
30Union County46.3
31Lake County46.2
32Whiteside County46.1
33Fayette County46.1
34Rock Island County45.9
35Woodford County45.9
36Douglas County45.7
37Calhoun County44.7
37De Witt County44.7
39Macon County44.6
40Monroe County44.6
41Macoupin County44.6
42Henderson County44.1
43McLean County43.7
44DuPage County43.6
45Marion County43.5
46Edgar County43.4
47Edwards County43.2
48LaSalle County43.2
49Mason County43
50Fulton County43
51Carroll County42.8
52Putnam County42.6
53Bureau County42.5
54Morgan County42.1
55Montgomery County41.9
56Mercer County41.8
57Tazewell County41.8
58Clark County41.7
59Adams County41.7
60Jo Daviess County41.1
61Lee County41
62Wayne County41
63Pulaski County40.5
64Jefferson County40.4
65Ford County39.9
66Greene County39.9
67Christian County39.5
68Clinton County39.4
69Crawford County39.3
70Stark County39.3
71Vermilion County39.1
72Piatt County38.6
73Pike County38.4
74Livingston County38.3
75Shelby County38.2
76Ogle County38.1
77Lawrence County38
78Henry County38
79Wabash County37.9
80Richland County37.8
81Randolph County37.2
82Hancock County36.8
83Washington County36.7
84Jasper County36.6
85Logan County36.5
86Gallatin County35.7
87Grundy County35.4
88Warren County34.7
89Menard County34.3
90Marshall County33.8
91Clay County33.6
92Moultrie County33.6
93Alexander County32.1
94White County31.5
95Scott County31.5
96Hamilton County31.4
97Effingham County30.8
98Brown County29.3
99Schuyler County25.8
100Cass County22.5
101Hardin County21.2
102Cumberland County19.8

Other periods

About this ranking

Renter households whose gross rent (contract rent plus utilities and fuels the renter pays) was 30 percent or more of household income in the past 12 months, as a percentage of renter households for which that ratio can be computed. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

Renters who pay no cash rent and households with no or negative income are left out of both the count and the base. 30 percent is the usual US threshold for rent burden. The EU housing cost overburden rate (housing_cost_overburden_rate) uses 40 percent of disposable income, all housing costs and people instead of households, so the two cannot be compared.

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. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.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 B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs (Counties in Illinois by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Illinois by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/illinois-counties?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs. Counties in Illinois by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/illinois-counties?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Illinois by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/illinois-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_illinois_by_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Illinois by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/illinois-counties?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Illinois by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 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-b25070.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/illinois-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/illinois-counties?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Rank Counties in Illinois by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income) using official data, and cite the source.
rank_places {"indicator":"rent_burden_30_plus_share","level":"province","within":"Illinois","limit":10}
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Questions

Which county has the highest rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income)?

Jackson County, with 56.3% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income)?

Cumberland County, with 19.8% 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 B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income): other rankings

Counties in Illinois: more rankings