Massac County, Illinois

County Distress Index: Elevated · 56.5 | 13,661 people · 13th most distressed in Illinois
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Massac County, IL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 56.5 — 1112th 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 13th of 102 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Massac County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 82.1 — worse than roughly 82% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 82.1
Poverty Rate 77
Income vs. State Median 78
Child Poverty Rate 91
Community Vulnerability 66.1
Uninsured Rate 58
Disability Rate 74
Employment & Wages 56.4
Unemployment Rate 72
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 18
Business Formation Rate 80
Housing Cost Burden 42.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 90
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 23
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 36
Homeownership Rate 24
Rent-to-Income Ratio 39
Debt & Delinquency 35.3
Debt in Collections 62
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 49
Auto Loan Delinquency 6
Credit Card Delinquency 33
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 56

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Massac County
Massac County, IL 56.5 Elevated —
Pulaski County, IL 61.7 Elevated +5.2
Livingston County, KY 51.6 Elevated -4.8
Pope County, IL 50.8 Elevated -5.7
Johnson County, IL 49.7 Normal -6.8
McCracken County, KY 47.7 Normal -8.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Massac County
Baker County, FL 56.5 Elevated -0.0
Jasper County, GA 56.4 Elevated -0.0
Butler County, KY 56.5 Elevated +0.0
Person County, NC 56.5 Elevated +0.1
Marshall County, OK 56.5 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Massac 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 Massac 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.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Illinois →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Massac County, Illinois?

    Massac County has a County Distress Index score of 56.5 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,112th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 13th in Illinois out of 102 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Massac County?

    The primary driver of distress in Massac County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 82.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Massac County compare to neighboring counties?

    Massac County (56.5) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Pulaski County, IL (61.7); Livingston County, KY (51.6); Pope County, IL (50.8).

  • 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 Massac County?

    Massac County, Illinois has a population of approximately 13,661 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.