Mason County, Illinois

County Distress Index: Elevated · 50.7 | 12,523 people · 29th most distressed in Illinois
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Mason County, IL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 50.7 — 1537th 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 29th 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. Mason County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 81.0 — worse than roughly 81% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 81.0
Unemployment Rate 92
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 58
Business Formation Rate 93
Income & Poverty 64.8
Poverty Rate 61
Income vs. State Median 65
Child Poverty Rate 69
Community Vulnerability 37.4
Uninsured Rate 13
Disability Rate 61
Debt & Delinquency 36.6
Debt in Collections 39
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 23
Auto Loan Delinquency 40
Credit Card Delinquency 41
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 71
Housing Cost Burden 33.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 41
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 81
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 14
Homeownership Rate 16
Rent-to-Income Ratio 17

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Mason County
Mason County, IL 50.7 Elevated —
Logan County, IL 47.0 Normal -3.7
Schuyler County, IL 45.6 Normal -5.1
Fulton County, IL 44.8 Normal -6.0
Cass County, IL 44.3 Normal -6.4
Menard County, IL 39.3 Normal -11.4
Tazewell County, IL 36.0 Normal -14.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Mason County
Tioga County, PA 50.7 Elevated 0.0
Kittitas County, WA 50.7 Elevated 0.0
Fulton County, IN 50.8 Elevated +0.0
Henderson County, KY 50.8 Elevated +0.0
Greene County, IN 50.8 Elevated +0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Mason 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 Mason 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 Mason County, Illinois?

    Mason County has a County Distress Index score of 50.7 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,537th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 29th in Illinois out of 102 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Mason County?

    The primary driver of distress in Mason County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 81.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Mason County compare to neighboring counties?

    Mason County (50.7) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Logan County, IL (47.0); Schuyler County, IL (45.6); 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 Mason County?

    Mason County, Illinois has a population of approximately 12,523 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.