Hardin County, Illinois

County Distress Index: Elevated · 54.0 | 3,569 people · 19th most distressed in Illinois
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Hardin County, IL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 54.0 — 1289th 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 19th of 102 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Hardin County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 88.2 — worse than roughly 88% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 88.2
Poverty Rate 83
Income vs. State Median 93
Child Poverty Rate 88
Employment & Wages 73.7
Unemployment Rate 87
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 39
Business Formation Rate 95
Community Vulnerability 50.7
Uninsured Rate 6
Disability Rate 95
Debt & Delinquency 39.5
Debt in Collections 66
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 49
Auto Loan Delinquency 40
Credit Card Delinquency 33
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 42
Housing Cost Burden 17.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 5
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 5
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 9
Homeownership Rate 16
Rent-to-Income Ratio 54

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Hardin County
Hardin County, IL 54.0 Elevated —
Saline County, IL 62.7 Elevated +8.8
Crittenden County, KY 57.3 Elevated +3.3
Livingston County, KY 51.6 Elevated -2.3
Pope County, IL 50.8 Elevated -3.2
Gallatin County, IL 47.4 Normal -6.6
Union County, KY 46.7 Normal -7.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Hardin County
Richmond County, VA 53.9 Elevated -0.1
Schuyler County, MO 53.8 Elevated -0.1
Clark County, MO 54.1 Elevated +0.1
Goliad County, TX 54.1 Elevated +0.1
Harrison County, MO 54.1 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Hardin 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 Hardin 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.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Illinois →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Hardin County has a County Distress Index score of 54.0 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,289th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 19th in Illinois out of 102 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Hardin County?

    The primary driver of distress in Hardin County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 88.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Hardin County compare to neighboring counties?

    Hardin County (54.0) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Saline County, IL (62.7); Crittenden County, KY (57.3); Livingston County, KY (51.6).

  • 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 Hardin County?

    Hardin County, Illinois has a population of approximately 3,569 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.