Knox County, Illinois

County Distress Index: Elevated · 57.6 | 48,411 people · 10th most distressed in Illinois
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Knox County, IL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 57.6 — 1021st 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 10th of 102 counties. It scores higher than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Knox County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 72.6 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 72.6
Unemployment Rate 90
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 37
Business Formation Rate 90
Income & Poverty 71.7
Poverty Rate 69
Income vs. State Median 80
Child Poverty Rate 66
Housing Cost Burden 69.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 94
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 96
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 57
Homeownership Rate 71
Rent-to-Income Ratio 29
Debt & Delinquency 43.3
Debt in Collections 56
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 45
Auto Loan Delinquency 72
Credit Card Delinquency 35
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 46
Community Vulnerability 31.2
Uninsured Rate 24
Disability Rate 39

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Knox County
Knox County, IL 57.6 Elevated —
Peoria County, IL 53.4 Elevated -4.2
Stark County, IL 46.9 Normal -10.8
Fulton County, IL 44.8 Normal -12.9
Warren County, IL 39.4 Normal -18.3
Henry County, IL 35.4 Normal -22.2
Mercer County, IL 35.3 Normal -22.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Knox County
Grant Parish, LA 57.6 Elevated -0.0
Titus County, TX 57.6 Elevated -0.0
Green County, KY 57.7 Elevated +0.0
Pulaski County, VA 57.7 Elevated +0.0
Page County, VA 57.7 Elevated +0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Knox 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 Knox 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 Knox County, Illinois?

    Knox County has a County Distress Index score of 57.6 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,021st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 10th in Illinois out of 102 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Knox County?

    The primary driver of distress in Knox County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 72.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Knox County compare to neighboring counties?

    Knox County (57.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Peoria County, IL (53.4); Stark County, IL (46.9); Fulton County, IL (44.8).

  • 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 Knox County?

    Knox County, Illinois has a population of approximately 48,411 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.