Menard County, Illinois

County Distress Index: Normal · 39.3 | 11,954 people · 68th most distressed in Illinois
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Menard County, IL falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 39.3 — 2392nd 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 68th of 102 counties. Among its 4 neighboring counties, 3 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Menard County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 88.6 — worse than roughly 89% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 88.6
Unemployment Rate 80
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 90
Business Formation Rate 95
Housing Cost Burden 32.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 71
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 23
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 31
Homeownership Rate 22
Rent-to-Income Ratio 18
Community Vulnerability 28.2
Uninsured Rate 5
Disability Rate 51
Debt & Delinquency 25.2
Debt in Collections 7
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 49
Auto Loan Delinquency 30
Credit Card Delinquency 18
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 40
Income & Poverty 21.5
Poverty Rate 23
Income vs. State Median 15
Child Poverty Rate 27

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Menard County
Menard County, IL 39.3 Normal —
Mason County, IL 50.7 Elevated +11.4
Logan County, IL 47.0 Normal +7.7
Cass County, IL 44.3 Normal +5.1
Sangamon County, IL 37.4 Normal -1.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Menard County
Dare County, NC 39.3 Normal +0.0
Mineral County, WV 39.2 Normal -0.1
Warren County, IL 39.4 Normal +0.1
Becker County, MN 39.4 Normal +0.1
Greene County, VA 39.1 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Menard 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 Menard 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 Menard County, Illinois?

    Menard County has a County Distress Index score of 39.3 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,392nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 68th in Illinois out of 102 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Menard County?

    The primary driver of distress in Menard County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 88.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Menard County compare to neighboring counties?

    Menard County (39.3) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Mason County, IL (50.7); Logan County, IL (47.0); Cass County, IL (44.3).

  • 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 Menard County?

    Menard County, Illinois has a population of approximately 11,954 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.