Fayette County, Illinois

County Distress Index: Elevated · 52.7 | 21,164 people · 22nd most distressed in Illinois

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Fayette County, IL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 52.7 — 1399th 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 22nd of 102 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 6 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Fayette County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 77.5 — worse than roughly 78% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 77.5
Unemployment Rate 93
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 45
Business Formation Rate 95
Income & Poverty 67.8
Poverty Rate 73
Income vs. State Median 65
Child Poverty Rate 65
Community Vulnerability 61.5
Uninsured Rate 58
Disability Rate 65
Debt & Delinquency 34.9
Debt in Collections 47
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 49
Auto Loan Delinquency 27
Credit Card Delinquency 51
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 28
Housing Cost Burden 21.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 28
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 26
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 19
Homeownership Rate 18
Rent-to-Income Ratio 17

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Fayette County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Fayette County
Fayette County, IL 52.7 Elevated
Marion County, IL 58.5 Elevated +5.8
Montgomery County, IL 47.4 Normal -5.3
Clay County, IL 47.3 Normal -5.4
Bond County, IL 42.3 Normal -10.4
Shelby County, IL 35.7 Normal -17.0
Effingham County, IL 31.6 Healthy -21.1
Clinton County, IL 30.9 Healthy -21.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Fayette County
Elmore County, ID 52.7 Elevated -0.0
Chester County, TN 52.7 Elevated +0.0
Sullivan County, IN 52.7 Elevated -0.0
Bourbon County, KY 52.7 Elevated +0.0
Preston County, WV 52.7 Elevated +0.0

Download Data

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Find Help in Fayette County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Fayette County.

C.E.F.S. FAYETTE COUNTY OUTREACH OFFICE
VANDALIA
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 Fayette 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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