Mercer County, Illinois

County Distress Index: Normal · 35.3 | 15,487 people · 86th most distressed in Illinois
American Default Research

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

Mercer County, IL falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 35.3 — 2640th 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 86th of 102 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 6 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Mercer County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 82.2 — worse than roughly 82% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 82.2
Unemployment Rate 93
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 84
Business Formation Rate 70
Debt & Delinquency 29.9
Debt in Collections 33
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 46
Auto Loan Delinquency 28
Credit Card Delinquency 21
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 45
Income & Poverty 22.0
Poverty Rate 19
Income vs. State Median 20
Child Poverty Rate 27
Community Vulnerability 21.5
Uninsured Rate 20
Disability Rate 23
Housing Cost Burden 20.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 42
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 19
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 16
Homeownership Rate 8
Rent-to-Income Ratio 18

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Mercer County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Mercer County
Mercer County, IL 35.3 Normal —
Des Moines County, IA 58.5 Elevated +23.2
Knox County, IL 57.6 Elevated +22.4
Rock Island County, IL 54.2 Elevated +18.9
Henderson County, IL 48.0 Normal +12.7
Warren County, IL 39.4 Normal +4.1
Henry County, IL 35.4 Normal +0.2
Louisa County, IA 31.0 Healthy -4.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Mercer County
Dukes County, MA 35.3 Normal +0.0
Le Sueur County, MN 35.2 Normal -0.1
Moniteau County, MO 35.3 Normal +0.1
Nantucket County, MA 35.4 Normal +0.1
Lincoln County, WI 35.4 Normal +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Mercer 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 Mercer 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 Mercer County, Illinois?

    Mercer County has a County Distress Index score of 35.3 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,640th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 86th in Illinois out of 102 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Mercer County?

    The primary driver of distress in Mercer County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 82.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Mercer County compare to neighboring counties?

    Mercer County (35.3) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Des Moines County, IA (58.5); Knox County, IL (57.6); Rock Island County, IL (54.2).

  • 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 Mercer County?

    Mercer County, Illinois has a population of approximately 15,487 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.