Brown County, Illinois

County Distress Index: Normal · 37.1 | 6,294 people · 76th most distressed in Illinois
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Brown County, IL falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 37.1 — 2530th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Illinois, it ranks 76th of 102 counties. It scores lower than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Brown County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 49.2 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 49.3
Unemployment Rate 45
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 8
Business Formation Rate 95
Community Vulnerability 45.2
Uninsured Rate 5
Disability Rate 85
Debt & Delinquency 36.9
Debt in Collections 39
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 49
Auto Loan Delinquency 94
Credit Card Delinquency 7
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 26
Income & Poverty 30.2
Poverty Rate 51
Income vs. State Median 22
Child Poverty Rate 18
Housing Cost Burden 24.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 25
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 5
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 26
Homeownership Rate 54
Rent-to-Income Ratio 10

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Brown County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Brown County
Brown County, IL 37.1 Normal —
Pike County, IL 52.4 Elevated +15.2
Adams County, IL 47.5 Normal +10.4
Schuyler County, IL 45.6 Normal +8.5
Morgan County, IL 45.5 Normal +8.4
Cass County, IL 44.3 Normal +7.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Brown County
Rooks County, KS 37.1 Normal -0.0
Judith Basin County, MT 37.1 Normal -0.0
Trimble County, KY 37.2 Normal +0.1
Knox County, NE 37.0 Normal -0.1
Hettinger County, ND 37.2 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Brown 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 Brown 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 Brown County, Illinois?

    Brown County has a County Distress Index score of 37.1 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,530th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 76th in Illinois out of 102 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Brown County?

    The primary driver of distress in Brown County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 49.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Brown County compare to neighboring counties?

    Brown County (37.1) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Pike County, IL (52.4); Adams County, IL (47.5); Schuyler County, IL (45.6).

  • 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 Brown County?

    Brown County, Illinois has a population of approximately 6,294 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.