Cities with highest divorce rate in Illinois research summary. We used Saturday Night Science to analyze Illinois’s most recent Census data to determine the divorce rate for each city in Illinois based on the percentage of currently divorced residents. Here are the results of our analysis:
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The city with the highest divorce rate in Illinois is Harrisburg based on the most recent Census data.
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Harrisburg is 17.0% Divorced.
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The city with the lowest divorce rate in Illinois is Lincolnshire.
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Lincolnshire is 1.0% Divorced.
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Illinois is 6.0% Divorced.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
There are some 609,247 people living in Illinois over fifteen years of age who are divorced. You can compare that to the 28,339,199 Americans who are currently divorced in 2025.
Many people decide to run away – or split up – across the Prairie State.
Isn’t the divorce rate in America close to 50%? Yes indeed. But we’re measuring something else; we are looking at counts and percentages of people over 15 years old who are currently divorced. That 50% statistic is for the percentage of people who have ever been divorced.
For today’s analysis, the focus will be on the number of currently divorced people.
So now that we have you biting your nails, rethinking your worldview, and pulling out your hair, let’s look at the places in Illinois with the highest rates of divorcees.
The 10 Cities In Illinois With The Highest Divorce Rates
Let’s quickly recap before we dive into the Saturday Night Science behind the data.
What is the city in Illinois with the highest divorce rate? That would be Harrisburg, with 17.0% of people over 15 years of age being divorced, per the most recent census data.
What is the overall Illinois divorce rate? According to the 2019-2023 Community Survey, the overall divorce rate in Illinois is 6.0%, which compares to the US divorce rate of 10.9%.
Alrighty, on to how we calculated the places with the highest divorce rates in Illinois.
For more Illinois reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In Illinois
- Cheapest Places To Live In Illinois
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Illinois
The 10 Places With The Highest Divorce Rate In Illinois For 2025
/10
Population: 8,608
Divorce Rate: 17.0%
Divorcees: 1,170
Median Income: $48,488
More on Harrisburg: Data
/10
Population: 6,836
Divorce Rate: 16.0%
Divorcees: 875
Median Income: $57,389
More on Calumet Park: Data
/10
Population: 16,334
Divorce Rate: 16.0%
Divorcees: 2,090
Median Income: $47,308
More on Mattoon: Data
/10
Population: 8,683
Divorce Rate: 16.0%
Divorcees: 1,111
Median Income: $48,733
More on Rock Falls: Data
/10
Population: 6,185
Divorce Rate: 15.0%
Divorcees: 742
Median Income: $62,108
More on Chillicothe: Data
/10
Population: 7,076
Divorce Rate: 15.0%
Divorcees: 849
Median Income: $51,349
More on Benton: Data
/10
Population: 17,490
Divorce Rate: 15.0%
Divorcees: 2,098
Median Income: $62,615
More on Jacksonville: Data
/10
Population: 12,271
Divorce Rate: 15.0%
Divorcees: 1,472
Median Income: $58,501
More on Herrin: Data
/10
Population: 6,892
Divorce Rate: 15.0%
Divorcees: 827
Median Income: $45,884
More on Mount Carmel: Data
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Population: 5,854
Divorce Rate: 14.0%
Divorcees: 655
Median Income: $67,674
More on Bartonville: Data
How We Determined The Places In Illinois That Get Un-Hitched The Most
Since this is the 58th category of rankings we are compiling for the site, we had a pretty good idea of where to find data on marriage and divorce in America. We used Saturday Night Science to look at the U.S. Census Bureau on divorce rates. Because who likes tracking misery more than the U.S. government?
Specifically, we looked at the 2019-2023 American Community Survey table S1201 — Marital Status.
Pretty straightforward on that front — we just had to extract the following column of data:
- Population 15 Years and Over -> Divorced
There are some interesting/fun/sad data like .1% of female Americans aged 15-19 are divorced, but 0% of males (That’s probably a rounding issue, but still).
But the national data is for another day. Today, the analysis focuses on the 330 places in Illinois with a population of over 5,000.
We ranked each place by the percentage of divorcees over 15 years of age from highest to lowest. We crowned the divorce capital of Illinois the place with the highest incidence of divorcees, Harrisburg.
And if you’re trying to avoid divorce, check out Lincolnshire, the city with the lowest divorce rate in Illinois.
We updated this article for 2025 and this list is our fifth time ranking the cities in Illinois with the highest divorce rates.
Getting Some Closure In Illinois After Untying The Know
Besides just coming up with what we thought would be a great new blog/book title, “Untying the Knot In Illinois: Life After Divorce,” we now have a sense of what places in the Prairie State don’t pay much attention to the whole “’til death do we part” phrase.
The cities with the highest divorce rate in Illinois are Harrisburg, Calumet Park, Mattoon, Rock Falls, Chillicothe, Benton, Jacksonville, Herrin, Mount Carmel, and Bartonville.
Try to keep in mind that the reason cities rank where they do in Illinois could be because of the age, education, and income distribution, as all of those things impact the rate of divorce.
And that’s probably for the best. Getting out of a toxic relationship is much better than staying in it.
Just make sure you have your running shoes ready to go.
For more Illinois reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In Illinois
- Cheapest Places To Live In Illinois
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Illinois
Cities With The Highest Divorce Rates In Illinois
| Rank | City | Population | Divorcees | Divorce Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harrisburg, IL | 8,608 | 1,170 | 17.0% |
| 2 | Calumet Park, IL | 6,836 | 875 | 16.0% |
| 3 | Mattoon, IL | 16,334 | 2,090 | 16.0% |
| 4 | Rock Falls, IL | 8,683 | 1,111 | 16.0% |
| 5 | Chillicothe, IL | 6,185 | 742 | 15.0% |
| 6 | Benton, IL | 7,076 | 849 | 15.0% |
| 7 | Jacksonville, IL | 17,490 | 2,098 | 15.0% |
| 8 | Herrin, IL | 12,271 | 1,472 | 15.0% |
| 9 | Mount Carmel, IL | 6,892 | 827 | 15.0% |
| 10 | Bartonville, IL | 5,854 | 655 | 14.0% |
| 11 | Pana, IL | 5,277 | 591 | 14.0% |
| 12 | Wood River, IL | 10,315 | 1,155 | 14.0% |
| 13 | Princeton, IL | 7,829 | 876 | 14.0% |
| 14 | Coal City, IL | 5,145 | 576 | 14.0% |
| 15 | Clinton, IL | 7,012 | 785 | 14.0% |
| 16 | Crete, IL | 8,382 | 871 | 13.0% |
| 17 | Spring Valley, IL | 5,508 | 572 | 13.0% |
| 18 | West Frankfort, IL | 7,156 | 744 | 13.0% |
| 19 | Elburn, IL | 6,054 | 629 | 13.0% |
| 20 | Crestwood, IL | 10,622 | 1,104 | 13.0% |
| 21 | Taylorville, IL | 11,149 | 1,159 | 13.0% |
| 22 | Bradley, IL | 15,331 | 1,594 | 13.0% |
| 23 | Pontiac, IL | 11,483 | 1,194 | 13.0% |
| 24 | Streator, IL | 12,274 | 1,276 | 13.0% |
| 25 | Hillsboro, IL | 5,693 | 592 | 13.0% |
| 26 | Pekin, IL | 31,812 | 3,308 | 13.0% |
| 27 | Murphysboro, IL | 6,804 | 707 | 13.0% |
| 28 | Monee, IL | 5,104 | 489 | 12.0% |
| 29 | Mount Vernon, IL | 14,492 | 1,391 | 12.0% |
| 30 | Springfield, IL | 113,714 | 10,916 | 12.0% |
| 31 | University Park, IL | 7,109 | 682 | 12.0% |
| 32 | Vandalia, IL | 6,041 | 579 | 12.0% |
| 33 | Du Quoin, IL | 5,780 | 554 | 12.0% |
| 34 | Lakemoor, IL | 5,878 | 564 | 12.0% |
| 35 | Fox Lake, IL | 10,872 | 1,043 | 12.0% |
| 36 | Olney, IL | 8,864 | 850 | 12.0% |
| 37 | Rochelle, IL | 9,477 | 909 | 12.0% |
| 38 | Island Lake, IL | 8,023 | 770 | 12.0% |
| 39 | Park Forest, IL | 20,898 | 2,006 | 12.0% |
| 40 | Peoria Heights, IL | 5,834 | 560 | 12.0% |
| 41 | East Alton, IL | 5,729 | 549 | 12.0% |
| 42 | Galesburg, IL | 29,653 | 2,609 | 11.0% |
| 43 | Pinckneyville, IL | 5,055 | 444 | 11.0% |
| 44 | Jerseyville, IL | 7,432 | 654 | 11.0% |
| 45 | Silvis, IL | 7,939 | 698 | 11.0% |
| 46 | Quincy, IL | 39,188 | 3,448 | 11.0% |
| 47 | Danville, IL | 28,663 | 2,522 | 11.0% |
| 48 | Lynwood, IL | 9,047 | 796 | 11.0% |
| 49 | Marion, IL | 16,796 | 1,478 | 11.0% |
| 50 | Mchenry, IL | 27,774 | 2,444 | 11.0% |
| 51 | Dolton, IL | 20,979 | 1,846 | 11.0% |
| 52 | Milan, IL | 5,037 | 443 | 11.0% |
| 53 | Carlinville, IL | 5,574 | 490 | 11.0% |
| 54 | Alton, IL | 25,430 | 2,237 | 11.0% |
| 55 | Wilmington, IL | 5,507 | 484 | 11.0% |
| 56 | Monticello, IL | 6,332 | 506 | 10.0% |
| 57 | Glenwood, IL | 8,620 | 689 | 10.0% |
| 58 | Canton, IL | 13,408 | 1,072 | 10.0% |
| 59 | Robinson, IL | 7,005 | 560 | 10.0% |
| 60 | Salem, IL | 7,341 | 587 | 10.0% |
| 61 | East Peoria, IL | 22,485 | 1,798 | 10.0% |
| 62 | Effingham, IL | 12,258 | 980 | 10.0% |
| 63 | Genoa, IL | 5,685 | 454 | 10.0% |
| 64 | Morris, IL | 14,775 | 1,182 | 10.0% |
| 65 | Sauk Village, IL | 9,724 | 777 | 10.0% |
| 66 | Freeport, IL | 23,636 | 1,890 | 10.0% |
| 67 | Eureka, IL | 5,095 | 407 | 10.0% |
| 68 | Manteno, IL | 8,942 | 715 | 10.0% |
| 69 | Granite City, IL | 26,670 | 2,133 | 10.0% |
| 70 | Godfrey, IL | 17,743 | 1,419 | 10.0% |
| 71 | Belvidere, IL | 24,510 | 1,960 | 10.0% |
| 72 | Lincoln, IL | 13,406 | 1,072 | 10.0% |
| 73 | Centralia, IL | 12,009 | 960 | 10.0% |
| 74 | Hazel Crest, IL | 13,493 | 1,079 | 10.0% |
| 75 | Sterling, IL | 14,670 | 1,173 | 10.0% |
| 76 | Ottawa, IL | 18,714 | 1,497 | 10.0% |
| 77 | Peru, IL | 9,863 | 789 | 10.0% |
| 78 | Willow Springs, IL | 5,871 | 469 | 10.0% |
| 79 | Colona, IL | 5,189 | 415 | 10.0% |
| 80 | Rantoul, IL | 12,515 | 901 | 9.0% |
| 81 | Kewanee, IL | 12,280 | 884 | 9.0% |
| 82 | Geneseo, IL | 6,577 | 473 | 9.0% |
| 83 | Brookfield, IL | 19,235 | 1,384 | 9.0% |
| 84 | Greenville, IL | 7,159 | 515 | 9.0% |
| 85 | Peoria, IL | 112,126 | 8,073 | 9.0% |
| 86 | Litchfield, IL | 6,814 | 490 | 9.0% |
| 87 | Riverdale, IL | 10,515 | 757 | 9.0% |
| 88 | North Riverside, IL | 7,495 | 539 | 9.0% |
| 89 | Braidwood, IL | 6,175 | 444 | 9.0% |
| 90 | Bethalto, IL | 9,244 | 665 | 9.0% |
| 91 | Roscoe, IL | 10,881 | 783 | 9.0% |
| 92 | Johnsburg, IL | 6,374 | 458 | 9.0% |
| 93 | Carterville, IL | 5,822 | 419 | 9.0% |
| 94 | Decatur, IL | 70,368 | 5,066 | 9.0% |
| 95 | Markham, IL | 11,434 | 823 | 9.0% |
| 96 | Dixon, IL | 15,166 | 1,091 | 9.0% |
| 97 | Calumet City, IL | 35,253 | 2,538 | 9.0% |
| 98 | East Moline, IL | 20,837 | 1,500 | 9.0% |
| 99 | Crest Hill, IL | 19,754 | 1,422 | 9.0% |
| 100 | Countryside, IL | 6,294 | 453 | 9.0% |