Like all states, Illinois has certain places that are going on hard times. These Illinois places have an above-average percentage of people living in poverty, out of work, or not making as much as they should be.
Even as the economy continues to improve, it’s worthwhile to look at the places in each state struggling to make ends meet. So we set our sites on locating the poorest places in Illinois.
To do so, we used Saturday Night Science to analyze the newest Census data from the American Community Survey for the 330 cities in Illinois with more than 5,000 people.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Poorest Places In Illinois For 2024:
What’s the poorest city in Illinois? According to the facts, Carbondale is the poorest place in Illinois for 2024.
This isn’t a commentary on the people that live there or the vibrant culture and traditions of these places. Instead, it’s just a look at the facts.
For more Illinois reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Illinois
- Cheapest Places To Live In Illinois
- Most Dangerous Cities In Illinois
- The poorest states in the US
- The poorest cities in the US
The 10 Poorest Cities In Illinois For 2024
1. Carbondale
/10
Population: 22,039
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Income: $27,360 (lowest)
Poverty Rate: 37.9% (highest)
People In Poverty: 8,343
More on Carbondale: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Carbondale, unfortunately, ranks as the poorest place in Illinois thanks to combination of low pay and and a lack of jobs.
The city of 22,039 people averages the lowest median household income in Illinois and the highest poverty rate. At the very least, the cost of living ranks in the bottom 15% of place in the state, so things like housing are relatively affordable.
2. East St. Louis
/10
Population: 18,796
Rank Last Year: 3 (Up 1)
Median Income: $28,519 (2nd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 31.6% (2nd highest)
People In Poverty: 5,935
More on East St. Louis: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
The second poorest city in Illinois is East St. Louis.
The city ranks as having the 2nd highest incidence of poverty and 2nd lowest median household income. However, the unemployment rate ‘only’ ranks as the 11th highest in the Prairie State.
3. Macomb
/10
Population: 15,207
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 4)
Median Income: $35,064 (3rd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 27.7% (7th highest)
People In Poverty: 4,210
More on Macomb: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Placing as the third poorest city, Macomb’s median income ranks as the 3rd lowest.
And that’s a sign that there’s a relatively substantial jump in the quality of the economy from second to third place on our list. The poverty rate is 27.69% and ranks near the bottom of places in the state.
But what makes up for the relatively low incomes of the city is its low cost of living. The income you do make here goes further than in most parts of the Prairie State.
4. Riverdale
/10
Population: 10,528
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 2)
Median Income: $41,144 (9th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 31.4% (3rd highest)
People In Poverty: 3,304
More on Riverdale: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Riverdale ranks as the fourth poorest place in Illinois.
The town ranks as having the 9th lowest median household income and the 3rd highest incidence of poverty in the state.
That being said, there’s still a ton of cultural diversity in the city as it hosts many events throughout the year.
5. West Frankfort
/10
Population: 7,168
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 1)
Median Income: $41,974 (11th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 29.5% (4th highest)
People In Poverty: 2,113
More on West Frankfort: Data | Cost Of Living
The fifth poorest city in Illinois is West Frankfort.
The city ranks as having the 11th lowest median income in the state. However, an extremely low cost of living prevents a good number of folks from living in poverty as the poverty rate only ranks as the 4th highest in Illinois.
Still not the best news for West Frankfort.
6. Urbana
/10
Population: 38,741
Rank Last Year: 8 (Up 2)
Median Income: $41,115 (8th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 27.7% (8th highest)
People In Poverty: 10,719
More on Urbana: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Urbana ranks as the sixth poorest place in the Prairie State.
It ranks as having the 8th highest incidence of poverty and the 114th highest unemployment rate.
7. Kankakee
/10
Population: 24,795
Rank Last Year: 9 (Up 2)
Median Income: $42,180 (12th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 28.7% (5th highest)
People In Poverty: 7,106
More on Kankakee: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Kankakee places as the seventh poorest city in Illinois.
The city of over 24,795 ranks as having the 5th highest incidence of poverty in the state. However, it has a very low cost of living which helps to pay the bills each month.
8. Harrisburg
/10
Population: 8,380
Rank Last Year: 14 (Up 6)
Median Income: $38,937 (6th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 24.1% (16th highest)
People In Poverty: 2,019
More on Harrisburg: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Harrisburg ranks as the eighth poorest city in Illinois.
The big issue for the town is the unemployment rate which ranks as one of the highest in the state.
9. Harvey
/10
Population: 20,035
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 4)
Median Income: $40,898 (7th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 24.3% (15th highest)
People In Poverty: 4,860
More on Harvey: Data | Cost Of Living
Harvey couldn’t stay out of the top ten poorest places in Illinois; it ranks number 9.
While the median income is the 7th lowest, there are a substantial number of people that live below the poverty line. Overall, Harvey ranks as having the 15th most people living in poverty of all the places we analyzed in Illinois.
10. Danville
/10
Population: 29,100
Rank Last Year: 10 (No Change)
Median Income: $42,424 (14th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 25.4% (13th highest)
People In Poverty: 7,385
More on Danville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
And rounding out the top ten poorest cities in Illinois is Danville.
The city of 29,100 people ranks in the bottom 20% for both median income and poverty rate in the Prairie State.
Methodology: How We Determined The Poorest Places In Illinois for 2024
The first thing that comes to most people’s minds when they think about determining the poorest places is to simply the poverty rate. That is, the number of people living below a federally established level of income for a household of a certain size.
However, we don’t think that one statistic wholly encompasses what it means to be one of the “poorest places”. So we used Saturday Night Science to look at this set of criteria from the newly released 2018-2022 American Community Survey:
- Poverty Level
- Median Household Income
After we collected the data for all 330 places with more than 5,000 people in Illinois, we ranked each place from 1 to 330 for each of the criteria, with 1 being the poorest.
We then averaged all the rankings for a place into a “Poor Score” with the place having the lowest overall Poor Score, Carbondale, crowned the “Poorest Place In Illinois For 2024”.
This report has been updated for 2024, which is our tenth time ranking the poorest places in Illinois.
Summary: The Poorest Cities In Illinois For 2024
Like we said earlier, when we set out to identify the poorest places in Illinois, we weren’t sure what we’d encounter, but it ended up being some of the best places to live in Illinois.
When you look at the data, the cities and places mentioned above meet the criteria for being at the very bottom of the income ladder for everyone that lives there.
If you’re curious enough, here are the richest cities in Illinois, according to data:
-
Richest: Hinsdale
2nd Richest: Long Grove
3rd Richest: South Barrington
For more Illinois reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In Illinois
- Safest Places In Illinois
- Worst Places To Live In Illinois
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Illinois
Detailed List Of The Poorest Places To Live In Illinois
| Rank | City | Population | Poverty Rate | Median Income | People In Poverty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carbondale | 22,039 | 37.9% | $27,360 | 8,343 |
| 2 | East St. Louis | 18,796 | 31.6% | $28,519 | 5,935 |
| 3 | Macomb | 15,207 | 27.7% | $35,064 | 4,210 |
| 4 | Riverdale | 10,528 | 31.4% | $41,144 | 3,304 |
| 5 | West Frankfort | 7,168 | 29.5% | $41,974 | 2,113 |
| 6 | Urbana | 38,741 | 27.7% | $41,115 | 10,719 |
| 7 | Kankakee | 24,795 | 28.7% | $42,180 | 7,106 |
| 8 | Harrisburg | 8,380 | 24.1% | $38,937 | 2,019 |
| 9 | Harvey | 20,035 | 24.3% | $40,898 | 4,860 |
| 10 | Danville | 29,100 | 25.4% | $42,424 | 7,385 |
| 11 | DeKalb | 40,697 | 26.6% | $47,410 | 10,813 |
| 12 | Charleston | 17,795 | 26.5% | $47,533 | 4,721 |
| 13 | Pinckneyville | 5,104 | 20.3% | $36,893 | 1,036 |
| 14 | Centralia | 12,096 | 23.4% | $46,468 | 2,835 |
| 15 | Du Quoin | 5,822 | 27.1% | $48,770 | 1,580 |
| 16 | Vandalia | 6,058 | 20.3% | $37,380 | 1,227 |
| 17 | Galesburg | 29,923 | 20.6% | $42,346 | 6,155 |
| 18 | Streator | 12,279 | 22.0% | $46,615 | 2,703 |
| 19 | Mattoon | 16,830 | 21.1% | $45,953 | 3,544 |
| 20 | Markham | 11,592 | 23.2% | $47,955 | 2,687 |
| 21 | Sauk Village | 9,862 | 28.3% | $50,393 | 2,788 |
| 22 | Alton | 25,642 | 24.5% | $49,439 | 6,287 |
| 23 | Rantoul | 12,544 | 20.5% | $46,078 | 2,575 |
| 24 | Rock Falls | 8,904 | 22.0% | $48,390 | 1,955 |
| 25 | Kewanee | 12,179 | 20.0% | $46,305 | 2,432 |
| 26 | Carlinville | 5,724 | 25.8% | $53,583 | 1,473 |
| 27 | Murphysboro | 7,101 | 17.7% | $41,535 | 1,257 |
| 28 | Freeport | 23,884 | 18.6% | $44,658 | 4,432 |
| 29 | Rockford | 148,173 | 22.2% | $50,744 | 32,894 |
| 30 | North Chicago | 30,890 | 21.9% | $52,011 | 6,774 |
| 31 | Decatur | 70,975 | 19.5% | $49,039 | 13,818 |
| 32 | LaSalle | 9,562 | 19.7% | $49,583 | 1,884 |
| 33 | Mount Vernon | 14,740 | 19.1% | $48,786 | 2,818 |
| 34 | Carmi | 5,042 | 20.0% | $50,116 | 1,006 |
| 35 | Rock Island | 37,264 | 22.7% | $55,732 | 8,444 |
| 36 | Greenville | 7,121 | 18.8% | $49,635 | 1,338 |
| 37 | Litchfield | 6,937 | 19.4% | $50,443 | 1,345 |
| 38 | Chicago Heights | 27,366 | 23.3% | $56,755 | 6,373 |
| 39 | Mount Carmel | 6,978 | 15.3% | $44,723 | 1,071 |
| 40 | Salem | 7,228 | 20.9% | $55,536 | 1,509 |
| 41 | Champaign | 88,628 | 23.6% | $58,273 | 20,898 |
| 42 | Hazel Crest | 13,737 | 22.7% | $57,247 | 3,116 |
| 43 | Dolton | 21,283 | 20.2% | $54,748 | 4,290 |
| 44 | Dixon | 15,573 | 18.7% | $52,208 | 2,907 |
| 45 | Benton | 6,999 | 16.3% | $48,784 | 1,140 |
| 46 | Calumet City | 35,708 | 21.3% | $56,727 | 7,620 |
| 47 | East Alton | 5,782 | 15.4% | $48,313 | 888 |
| 48 | Taylorville | 11,318 | 16.1% | $49,471 | 1,827 |
| 49 | Hillsboro | 5,673 | 15.1% | $48,302 | 858 |
| 50 | Sterling | 14,852 | 15.1% | $49,007 | 2,241 |
| 51 | Clinton | 6,889 | 15.8% | $51,270 | 1,086 |
| 52 | Peoria | 113,054 | 19.5% | $58,068 | 22,079 |
| 53 | Worth | 10,859 | 17.5% | $54,893 | 1,903 |
| 54 | Justice | 12,525 | 21.9% | $60,083 | 2,744 |
| 55 | Jacksonville | 17,639 | 17.7% | $55,944 | 3,116 |
| 56 | Wood River | 10,313 | 19.5% | $58,813 | 2,008 |
| 57 | Blue Island | 22,934 | 18.6% | $57,537 | 4,277 |
| 58 | Pana | 5,167 | 13.7% | $47,763 | 709 |
| 59 | Olney | 8,995 | 18.2% | $57,260 | 1,640 |
| 60 | Normal | 52,920 | 23.4% | $63,965 | 12,362 |
| 61 | Granite City | 27,026 | 18.6% | $58,681 | 5,018 |
| 62 | Chillicothe | 6,130 | 19.2% | $59,161 | 1,177 |
| 63 | Eureka | 5,504 | 13.3% | $48,250 | 730 |
| 64 | Calumet Park | 7,193 | 15.7% | $55,717 | 1,127 |
| 65 | Canton | 13,380 | 15.0% | $52,749 | 2,004 |
| 66 | Marion | 16,867 | 15.0% | $54,052 | 2,535 |
| 67 | Monmouth | 8,764 | 18.5% | $58,991 | 1,617 |
| 68 | Pekin | 32,075 | 14.8% | $52,507 | 4,750 |
| 69 | Metropolis | 5,963 | 11.8% | $46,397 | 702 |
| 70 | Lincoln | 13,371 | 14.8% | $54,002 | 1,985 |
| 71 | Quincy | 39,441 | 15.0% | $54,199 | 5,912 |
| 72 | Park Forest | 21,042 | 17.3% | $58,907 | 3,646 |
| 73 | Loves Park | 22,935 | 15.3% | $56,370 | 3,504 |
| 74 | Beardstown | 5,884 | 16.0% | $58,804 | 940 |
| 75 | Summit | 11,036 | 13.4% | $51,040 | 1,475 |
| 76 | Paris | 8,331 | 12.4% | $50,080 | 1,030 |
| 77 | Princeton | 7,749 | 14.8% | $55,926 | 1,142 |
| 78 | Herrin | 12,344 | 12.9% | $54,555 | 1,589 |
| 79 | Springfield | 114,214 | 16.8% | $62,419 | 19,130 |
| 80 | Effingham | 12,244 | 16.4% | $62,358 | 2,005 |
| 81 | East Moline | 20,937 | 15.1% | $60,032 | 3,167 |
| 82 | Bridgeview | 16,939 | 15.6% | $61,426 | 2,642 |
| 83 | Chester | 6,941 | 20.1% | $68,826 | 1,395 |
| 84 | Milan | 5,066 | 15.3% | $60,304 | 773 |
| 85 | Chicago Ridge | 14,284 | 17.6% | $65,168 | 2,509 |
| 86 | Steger | 9,518 | 14.0% | $58,816 | 1,331 |
| 87 | Moline | 42,452 | 15.5% | $63,553 | 6,571 |
| 88 | Belvidere | 25,389 | 14.4% | $59,216 | 3,668 |
| 89 | Ottawa | 18,708 | 18.2% | $67,940 | 3,414 |
| 90 | Belleville | 42,155 | 14.8% | $60,573 | 6,217 |
| 91 | Broadview | 7,957 | 13.6% | $59,261 | 1,083 |
| 92 | Carterville | 5,836 | 13.0% | $59,174 | 757 |
| 93 | Maywood | 23,385 | 15.2% | $64,767 | 3,566 |
| 94 | Lansing | 28,713 | 16.5% | $68,766 | 4,746 |
| 95 | Round Lake Park | 7,778 | 11.0% | $56,097 | 853 |
| 96 | Chicago | 2,721,914 | 16.9% | $71,673 | 460,820 |
| 97 | Peoria Heights | 5,890 | 12.1% | $59,286 | 712 |
| 98 | Bradley | 15,379 | 12.2% | $59,746 | 1,873 |
| 99 | Waukegan | 89,435 | 15.0% | $66,077 | 13,415 |
| 100 | Marengo | 7,471 | 15.7% | $71,196 | 1,175 |
