Lee County, Illinois

County Distress Index: Normal · 38.8 | 33,654 people · 69th most distressed in Illinois

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Lee County, IL falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 38.8 — 2417th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Illinois, it ranks 69th of 102 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Lee County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 58.2 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 58.3
Unemployment Rate 87
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 5
Business Formation Rate 82
Housing Cost Burden 41.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 46
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 46
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 50
Homeownership Rate 56
Rent-to-Income Ratio 8
Income & Poverty 32.6
Poverty Rate 21
Income vs. State Median 47
Child Poverty Rate 29
Debt & Delinquency 32.5
Debt in Collections 44
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 21
Auto Loan Delinquency 35
Credit Card Delinquency 39
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 49
Community Vulnerability 29.5
Uninsured Rate 5
Disability Rate 54

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Lee County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Lee County
Lee County, IL 38.8 Normal
DeKalb County, IL 51.7 Elevated +12.9
Whiteside County, IL 44.3 Normal +5.5
Bureau County, IL 42.6 Normal +3.8
LaSalle County, IL 41.0 Normal +2.2
Ogle County, IL 37.6 Normal -1.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Lee County
Giles County, VA 38.8 Normal -0.0
Jackson County, IN 38.7 Normal -0.1
Van Wert County, OH 38.7 Normal -0.1
Lyon County, MN 38.7 Normal -0.1
Atchison County, KS 38.7 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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Find Help in Lee County

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Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Lee 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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