Kankakee County, Illinois

County Distress Index: Elevated · 55.2 | 105,940 people · 14th most distressed in Illinois
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Kankakee County, IL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 55.2 — 1187th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Illinois, it ranks 14th of 102 counties. It scores higher than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Kankakee County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 75.2 — worse than roughly 75% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 75.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 79
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 77
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 77
Homeownership Rate 75
Rent-to-Income Ratio 69
Employment & Wages 74.7
Unemployment Rate 96
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 74
Business Formation Rate 55
Debt & Delinquency 56.3
Debt in Collections 56
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 62
Auto Loan Delinquency 80
Credit Card Delinquency 65
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 68
Income & Poverty 37.8
Poverty Rate 33
Income vs. State Median 41
Child Poverty Rate 39
Community Vulnerability 32.2
Uninsured Rate 25
Disability Rate 40

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Kankakee County
Kankakee County, IL 55.2 Elevated —
Lake County, IN 54.4 Elevated -0.9
Newton County, IN 51.1 Elevated -4.1
Iroquois County, IL 42.6 Normal -12.6
Ford County, IL 37.0 Normal -18.3
Will County, IL 36.4 Normal -18.9
Grundy County, IL 35.8 Normal -19.5
Livingston County, IL 35.7 Normal -19.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Kankakee County
Hardin County, TX 55.2 Elevated -0.0
Washington County, TN 55.3 Elevated +0.1
White County, AR 55.2 Elevated -0.1
Kaufman County, TX 55.1 Elevated -0.1
Greenwood County, SC 55.1 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Kankakee 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 Kankakee 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 Kankakee County, Illinois?

    Kankakee County has a County Distress Index score of 55.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,187th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 14th in Illinois out of 102 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Kankakee County?

    The primary driver of distress in Kankakee County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 75.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Kankakee County compare to neighboring counties?

    Kankakee County (55.2) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Lake County, IN (54.4); Newton County, IN (51.1); Iroquois County, IL (42.6).

  • 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 Kankakee County?

    Kankakee County, Illinois has a population of approximately 105,940 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.