Lawrence County, Illinois

County Distress Index: Elevated · 55.1 | 14,813 people · 16th most distressed in Illinois
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Lawrence County, IL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 55.1 — 1197th 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 16th of 102 counties. It scores higher than all 4 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Lawrence County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 76.4 — worse than roughly 76% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 76.4
Poverty Rate 79
Income vs. State Median 85
Child Poverty Rate 65
Employment & Wages 69.3
Unemployment Rate 90
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 23
Business Formation Rate 95
Community Vulnerability 63.2
Uninsured Rate 45
Disability Rate 82
Debt & Delinquency 41.3
Debt in Collections 51
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 49
Auto Loan Delinquency 32
Credit Card Delinquency 72
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 37
Housing Cost Burden 25.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 25
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 6
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 5
Homeownership Rate 47
Rent-to-Income Ratio 45

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Lawrence County compares to its 4 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Lawrence County
Lawrence County, IL 55.1 Elevated —
Knox County, IN 53.3 Elevated -1.9
Wabash County, IL 49.0 Normal -6.2
Richland County, IL 47.1 Normal -8.1
Crawford County, IL 38.2 Normal -17.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Lawrence County
Coles County, IL 55.1 Elevated 0.0
Muhlenberg County, KY 55.1 Elevated -0.0
George County, MS 55.1 Elevated -0.0
Swain County, NC 55.1 Elevated -0.0
Baker County, OR 55.2 Elevated +0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Lawrence County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Lawrence County.

ERBA LAWRENCE COUNTY OUTREACH OFFICE
Lawrenceville
217-331-7031-229 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingHome Improvement/Rehab

See all counselors in Illinois →

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 Lawrence 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 Lawrence County, Illinois?

    Lawrence County has a County Distress Index score of 55.1 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,197th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 16th in Illinois out of 102 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Lawrence County?

    The primary driver of distress in Lawrence County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 76.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Lawrence County compare to neighboring counties?

    Lawrence County (55.1) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Knox County, IN (53.3); Wabash County, IL (49.0); Richland County, IL (47.1).

  • 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 Lawrence County?

    Lawrence County, Illinois has a population of approximately 14,813 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.