Alexander County, Illinois

County Distress Index: Serious · 65.3 | 4,695 people · 2nd most distressed in Illinois
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Alexander County, IL shows significant household financial distress with a score of 65.2 — 483rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Illinois, it ranks 2nd of 102 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Alexander County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 95.0 — worse than roughly 95% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 95.0
Poverty Rate 95
Income vs. State Median 95
Child Poverty Rate 95
Community Vulnerability 83.1
Uninsured Rate 72
Disability Rate 95
Employment & Wages 56.9
Unemployment Rate 94
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 36
Business Formation Rate 40
Debt & Delinquency 56.5
Debt in Collections 85
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 49
Auto Loan Delinquency 92
Credit Card Delinquency 78
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 28
Housing Cost Burden 34.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 9
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 13
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 35
Homeownership Rate 31
Rent-to-Income Ratio 86

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Alexander County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Alexander County
Alexander County, IL 65.3 Serious —
Mississippi County, MO 76.6 Serious +11.4
Pulaski County, IL 61.7 Elevated -3.5
Scott County, MO 56.3 Elevated -9.0
Union County, IL 52.2 Elevated -13.1
Cape Girardeau County, MO 41.0 Normal -24.2
Ballard County, KY 36.2 Normal -29.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Alexander County
Elliott County, KY 65.2 Serious -0.0
Lowndes County, AL 65.3 Serious +0.1
Woodruff County, AR 65.3 Serious +0.1
Franklin city, VA 65.4 Serious +0.2
Crowley County, CO 65.0 Serious -0.2

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Alexander County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Alexander County

Find an Attorney

Illinois State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Illinois State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-922-8757

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Alexander County residents at no cost.

Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO)
Legal Aid Chicago (formerly LAF) 312-341-1070
Land of Lincoln Legal Aid 217-525-7151
Prairie State Legal Services 1-800-531-7057
Illinois State Bar Association Lawyer Referral 1-800-922-8757

Self-Help Resources

Illinois Legal Aid Online — Foreclosure Comprehensive self-help guides for Illinois foreclosure
IHDA Homeowner Resources Assistance programs and housing counselor referrals

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Alexander County, Illinois?

    Alexander County has a County Distress Index score of 65.3 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 483rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 2nd in Illinois out of 102 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Alexander County?

    The primary driver of distress in Alexander County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 95.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Alexander County compare to neighboring counties?

    Alexander County (65.3) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Mississippi County, MO (76.6); Pulaski County, IL (61.7); Scott County, MO (56.3).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Alexander County?

    Alexander County, Illinois has a population of approximately 4,695 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.