McDonough County, Illinois

County Distress Index: Elevated · 63.3 | 26,839 people · 4th most distressed in Illinois
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McDonough County, IL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 63.3 — 607th 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 4th of 102 counties. It scores higher than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. McDonough County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 81.9 — worse than roughly 82% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 81.9
Poverty Rate 85
Income vs. State Median 94
Child Poverty Rate 66
Housing Cost Burden 81.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 83
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 99
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 72
Homeownership Rate 90
Rent-to-Income Ratio 64
Employment & Wages 71.1
Unemployment Rate 82
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 36
Business Formation Rate 95
Debt & Delinquency 45.2
Debt in Collections 35
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 21
Auto Loan Delinquency 87
Credit Card Delinquency 82
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 40
Community Vulnerability 36.4
Uninsured Rate 35
Disability Rate 38

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. McDonough County
McDonough County, IL 63.3 Elevated —
Henderson County, IL 48.0 Normal -15.3
Schuyler County, IL 45.6 Normal -17.6
Fulton County, IL 44.8 Normal -18.5
Hancock County, IL 43.8 Normal -19.5
Warren County, IL 39.4 Normal -23.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. McDonough County
Weakley County, TN 63.2 Elevated -0.0
Johnson County, TN 63.2 Elevated -0.0
Waynesboro city, VA 63.2 Elevated -0.1
Upshur County, TX 63.4 Elevated +0.1
Wharton County, TX 63.1 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in McDonough 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 McDonough 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

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    McDonough County has a County Distress Index score of 63.3 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 607th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 4th in Illinois out of 102 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in McDonough County?

    The primary driver of distress in McDonough County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 81.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does McDonough County compare to neighboring counties?

    McDonough County (63.3) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Henderson County, IL (48.0); 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 McDonough County?

    McDonough County, Illinois has a population of approximately 26,839 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.