Clay County, Illinois

County Distress Index: Normal · 47.3 | 12,999 people · 38th most distressed in Illinois

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Clay County, IL falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 47.3 — 1806th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where unemployment is elevated, wages are low relative to housing costs, and business formation lags. Within Illinois, it ranks 38th of 102 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 6 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Clay County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 68.1 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 68.1
Unemployment Rate 93
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 18
Business Formation Rate 93
Income & Poverty 68.1
Poverty Rate 61
Income vs. State Median 87
Child Poverty Rate 57
Community Vulnerability 48.7
Uninsured Rate 25
Disability Rate 73
Debt & Delinquency 26.7
Debt in Collections 28
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 49
Auto Loan Delinquency 19
Credit Card Delinquency 25
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 32
Housing Cost Burden 24.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 8
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 15
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 46
Homeownership Rate 16
Rent-to-Income Ratio 40

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Clay County
Clay County, IL 47.3 Normal
Marion County, IL 58.5 Elevated +11.2
Wayne County, IL 53.4 Elevated +6.1
Fayette County, IL 52.7 Elevated +5.4
Richland County, IL 47.1 Normal -0.2
Effingham County, IL 31.6 Healthy -15.7
Jasper County, IL 31.2 Healthy -16.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Clay County
Dinwiddie County, VA 47.3 Normal -0.0
Red Willow County, NE 47.3 Normal +0.0
Sawyer County, WI 47.3 Normal -0.0
Montgomery County, IL 47.4 Normal +0.1
Grant County, WV 47.2 Normal -0.1

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HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Clay County.

C.E.F.S. CLAY COUNTY OUTREACH OFFICE
FLORA
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFair HousingHome Improvement/Rehab

Find an Attorney

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

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Clay County residents at no cost.

Self-Help Resources

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

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