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 2026:
What’s the poorest city in Illinois? According to the facts, Carbondale is the poorest place in Illinois for 2026.
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 2026
1. Carbondale
/10
Population: 22,158
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Income: $32,128 (lowest)
Poverty Rate: 37.4% (2nd highest)
People In Poverty: 8,291
More on Carbondale: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Carbondale, unfortunately, ranks as the poorest place in Illinois thanks to combination of low pay and and a lack of jobs.
The city of 22,158 people averages the lowest median household income in Illinois and the 2nd 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. Riverdale
/10
Population: 10,340
Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 2)
Median Income: $39,833 (3rd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 41.5% (highest)
People In Poverty: 4,290
More on Riverdale: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The second poorest city in Illinois is Riverdale.
The city ranks as having the highest incidence of poverty and 3rd lowest median household income. However, the unemployment rate ‘only’ ranks as the 3rd highest in the Prairie State.
3. East St. Louis
/10
Population: 17,999
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 1)
Median Income: $35,700 (2nd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 32.8% (3rd highest)
People In Poverty: 5,896
More on East St. Louis: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Placing as the third poorest city, East St. Louis’s median income ranks as the 2nd 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 32.76% 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. Harrisburg
/10
Population: 8,372
Rank Last Year: 14 (Up 10)
Median Income: $43,415 (5th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 29.0% (5th highest)
People In Poverty: 2,431
More on Harrisburg: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Harrisburg ranks as the fourth poorest place in Illinois.
The town ranks as having the 5th lowest median household income and the 5th 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. Urbana
/10
Population: 39,341
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 5)
Median Income: $45,346 (8th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 28.0% (7th highest)
People In Poverty: 11,023
More on Urbana: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
The fifth poorest city in Illinois is Urbana.
The city ranks as having the 8th 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 7th highest in Illinois.
Still not the best news for Urbana.
6. Macomb
/10
Population: 14,894
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 3)
Median Income: $44,411 (7th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 25.1% (13th highest)
People In Poverty: 3,736
More on Macomb: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Macomb ranks as the sixth poorest place in the Prairie State.
It ranks as having the 13th highest incidence of poverty and the 22nd highest unemployment rate.
7. West Frankfort
/10
Population: 7,118
Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 5)
Median Income: $47,898 (16th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 29.0% (6th highest)
People In Poverty: 2,061
More on West Frankfort: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
West Frankfort places as the seventh poorest city in Illinois.
The city of over 7,118 ranks as having the 6th 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. Harvey
/10
Population: 20,230
Rank Last Year: 6 (Down 2)
Median Income: $42,429 (4th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 22.6% (20th highest)
People In Poverty: 4,565
More on Harvey: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
Harvey 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. Danville
/10
Population: 28,595
Rank Last Year: 7 (Down 2)
Median Income: $45,957 (10th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 24.5% (15th highest)
People In Poverty: 7,008
More on Danville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Danville couldn’t stay out of the top ten poorest places in Illinois; it ranks number 9.
While the median income is the 10th lowest, there are a substantial number of people that live below the poverty line. Overall, Danville ranks as having the 15th most people living in poverty of all the places we analyzed in Illinois.
10. Kankakee
/10
Population: 23,996
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 5)
Median Income: $47,514 (14th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 25.5% (12th highest)
People In Poverty: 6,111
More on Kankakee: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
And rounding out the top ten poorest cities in Illinois is Kankakee.
The city of 23,996 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 2026
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 2020-2024 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 2026”.
This report has been updated for 2026, which is our eleventh time ranking the poorest places in Illinois.
Summary: The Poorest Cities In Illinois For 2026
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: Long Grove
2nd Richest: Hawthorn Woods
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 | 22,158 | 37.4% | $32,128 | 8,291 |
| 2 | Riverdale | 10,340 | 41.5% | $39,833 | 4,290 |
| 3 | East St. Louis | 17,999 | 32.8% | $35,700 | 5,896 |
| 4 | Harrisburg | 8,372 | 29.0% | $43,415 | 2,431 |
| 5 | Urbana | 39,341 | 28.0% | $45,346 | 11,023 |
| 6 | Macomb | 14,894 | 25.1% | $44,411 | 3,736 |
| 7 | West Frankfort | 7,118 | 29.0% | $47,898 | 2,061 |
| 8 | Harvey | 20,230 | 22.6% | $42,429 | 4,565 |
| 9 | Danville | 28,595 | 24.5% | $45,957 | 7,008 |
| 10 | Kankakee | 23,996 | 25.5% | $47,514 | 6,111 |
| 11 | DeKalb | 40,443 | 24.9% | $46,481 | 10,058 |
| 12 | Charleston | 17,062 | 26.3% | $49,300 | 4,492 |
| 13 | Vandalia | 5,796 | 22.2% | $45,469 | 1,287 |
| 14 | Rock Falls | 8,587 | 25.6% | $49,600 | 2,199 |
| 15 | Centralia | 11,856 | 24.3% | $47,807 | 2,885 |
| 16 | Du Quoin | 5,726 | 29.6% | $54,409 | 1,697 |
| 17 | Chicago Heights | 26,736 | 26.9% | $54,798 | 7,197 |
| 18 | Mount Carmel | 6,854 | 20.3% | $47,009 | 1,392 |
| 19 | East Alton | 5,689 | 20.8% | $48,815 | 1,181 |
| 20 | Champaign | 89,996 | 25.9% | $56,118 | 23,272 |
| 21 | Mattoon | 16,586 | 21.3% | $51,597 | 3,532 |
| 22 | Calumet City | 35,100 | 23.4% | $55,369 | 8,227 |
| 23 | Galesburg | 29,481 | 19.1% | $48,297 | 5,639 |
| 24 | Rockford | 147,521 | 21.3% | $54,752 | 31,451 |
| 25 | Alton | 25,279 | 21.0% | $54,568 | 5,316 |
| 26 | Decatur | 69,815 | 19.4% | $51,592 | 13,530 |
| 27 | Freeport | 23,505 | 19.6% | $51,723 | 4,602 |
| 28 | Kewanee | 11,913 | 17.9% | $50,886 | 2,132 |
| 29 | Worth | 10,700 | 21.1% | $56,288 | 2,256 |
| 30 | Metropolis | 5,864 | 17.6% | $50,399 | 1,029 |
| 31 | Rantoul | 12,421 | 16.9% | $48,691 | 2,094 |
| 32 | Dolton | 20,825 | 21.7% | $57,887 | 4,523 |
| 33 | Murphysboro | 6,735 | 14.9% | $44,154 | 1,001 |
| 34 | Benton | 6,863 | 17.7% | $54,123 | 1,217 |
| 35 | North Chicago | 30,643 | 24.5% | $60,172 | 7,501 |
| 36 | Justice | 12,324 | 19.4% | $57,170 | 2,388 |
| 37 | Carlinville | 5,480 | 20.5% | $57,708 | 1,123 |
| 38 | Rock Island | 36,151 | 21.0% | $59,041 | 7,591 |
| 39 | Streator | 12,330 | 20.3% | $57,609 | 2,498 |
| 40 | Peoria | 112,169 | 21.0% | $59,410 | 23,577 |
| 41 | Markham | 11,355 | 18.0% | $57,302 | 2,047 |
| 42 | Mount Vernon | 14,090 | 17.3% | $55,357 | 2,437 |
| 43 | Litchfield | 6,834 | 16.3% | $53,958 | 1,114 |
| 44 | LaSalle | 9,498 | 18.8% | $57,732 | 1,787 |
| 45 | Canton | 13,144 | 15.2% | $53,254 | 1,992 |
| 46 | Pontoon Beach | 6,025 | 21.7% | $62,861 | 1,309 |
| 47 | Dixon | 14,910 | 17.8% | $59,406 | 2,650 |
| 48 | Lincoln | 13,281 | 17.0% | $57,340 | 2,255 |
| 49 | Pana | 5,217 | 13.3% | $46,168 | 696 |
| 50 | Quincy | 39,109 | 16.7% | $56,480 | 6,527 |
| 51 | East Moline | 20,904 | 19.8% | $61,779 | 4,143 |
| 52 | Mendota | 6,994 | 14.2% | $51,632 | 989 |
| 53 | Normal | 53,569 | 21.4% | $64,785 | 11,458 |
| 54 | Blue Island | 21,741 | 17.1% | $59,489 | 3,715 |
| 55 | Calumet Park | 6,855 | 14.1% | $53,556 | 969 |
| 56 | Park Forest | 21,156 | 17.6% | $61,072 | 3,731 |
| 57 | Monmouth | 8,581 | 17.7% | $61,138 | 1,519 |
| 58 | Sterling | 14,717 | 15.3% | $57,350 | 2,254 |
| 59 | Hazel Crest | 13,792 | 23.9% | $68,393 | 3,303 |
| 60 | Salem | 7,236 | 16.3% | $59,728 | 1,177 |
| 61 | Granite City | 26,549 | 14.8% | $59,205 | 3,931 |
| 62 | Jacksonville | 18,014 | 18.4% | $65,432 | 3,323 |
| 63 | Hoopeston | 5,034 | 15.6% | $60,861 | 783 |
| 64 | Paris | 8,276 | 12.5% | $53,927 | 1,036 |
| 65 | Marion | 16,836 | 13.3% | $56,912 | 2,245 |
| 66 | Chicago Ridge | 14,099 | 20.4% | $68,964 | 2,874 |
| 67 | Herrin | 12,226 | 14.5% | $59,975 | 1,777 |
| 68 | Hillsboro | 5,803 | 11.6% | $50,158 | 675 |
| 69 | Zion | 24,600 | 16.0% | $63,104 | 3,928 |
| 70 | Olney | 8,577 | 14.2% | $59,980 | 1,217 |
| 71 | Silvis | 7,955 | 15.4% | $62,375 | 1,225 |
| 72 | Springfield | 113,330 | 16.8% | $66,064 | 19,073 |
| 73 | Posen | 5,292 | 21.5% | $73,051 | 1,136 |
| 74 | Loves Park | 23,502 | 14.4% | $61,868 | 3,388 |
| 75 | Taylorville | 10,646 | 12.4% | $57,552 | 1,323 |
| 76 | Clinton | 6,985 | 14.5% | $62,323 | 1,010 |
| 77 | Beardstown | 6,169 | 13.7% | $60,587 | 842 |
| 78 | Sauk Village | 9,678 | 17.6% | $69,973 | 1,701 |
| 79 | Belleville | 41,370 | 14.7% | $63,535 | 6,060 |
| 80 | Belvidere | 24,752 | 14.6% | $64,528 | 3,623 |
| 81 | Pontiac | 11,294 | 13.1% | $61,279 | 1,479 |
| 82 | Pekin | 31,781 | 12.8% | $60,790 | 4,083 |
| 83 | Ottawa | 18,447 | 17.3% | $71,413 | 3,191 |
| 84 | Moline | 42,197 | 15.5% | $67,701 | 6,527 |
| 85 | Wood River | 10,279 | 13.9% | $62,703 | 1,432 |
| 86 | Maywood | 23,201 | 15.5% | $68,815 | 3,593 |
| 87 | Chester | 6,797 | 21.6% | $80,625 | 1,471 |
| 88 | Eureka | 5,007 | 10.8% | $56,048 | 541 |
| 89 | Princeton | 7,975 | 12.7% | $61,946 | 1,012 |
| 90 | Waukegan | 89,076 | 15.3% | $71,919 | 13,610 |
| 91 | Cicero | 82,797 | 14.7% | $70,842 | 12,129 |
| 92 | Marengo | 7,040 | 15.7% | $73,523 | 1,108 |
| 93 | Milan | 5,034 | 12.3% | $62,597 | 617 |
| 94 | Bethalto | 9,239 | 12.3% | $64,775 | 1,139 |
| 95 | Bridgeview | 16,849 | 12.8% | $66,655 | 2,160 |
| 96 | Steger | 9,418 | 12.6% | $66,575 | 1,189 |
| 97 | Effingham | 12,342 | 14.6% | $72,377 | 1,796 |
| 98 | Summit | 10,846 | 11.2% | $61,863 | 1,214 |
| 99 | Chicago | 2,711,226 | 16.8% | $77,902 | 456,299 |
| 100 | Melrose Park | 24,549 | 12.3% | $66,189 | 3,021 |