Pope County, Illinois

County Distress Index: Elevated · 50.8 | 3,707 people · 27th most distressed in Illinois
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Pope County, IL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 50.8 — 1529th 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 27th of 102 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Pope County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 88.3 — worse than roughly 88% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 88.3
Unemployment Rate 90
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 84
Business Formation Rate 91
Income & Poverty 76.6
Poverty Rate 68
Income vs. State Median 78
Child Poverty Rate 83
Community Vulnerability 46.5
Uninsured Rate 5
Disability Rate 88
Debt & Delinquency 23.7
Debt in Collections 30
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 49
Auto Loan Delinquency 40
Credit Card Delinquency 5
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 11
Housing Cost Burden 18.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 5
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 5
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 17
Homeownership Rate 5
Rent-to-Income Ratio 63

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Pope County
Pope County, IL 50.8 Elevated —
Saline County, IL 62.7 Elevated +12.0
Williamson County, IL 56.5 Elevated +5.7
Massac County, IL 56.5 Elevated +5.7
Hardin County, IL 54.0 Elevated +3.2
Livingston County, KY 51.6 Elevated +0.9
Johnson County, IL 49.7 Normal -1.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Pope County
Forest County, WI 50.8 Elevated 0.0
Charles City County, VA 50.7 Elevated -0.1
Iron County, WI 50.6 Elevated -0.1
Clark County, ID 50.6 Elevated -0.2
Bailey County, TX 50.6 Elevated -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Pope 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 Pope 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 Pope County, Illinois?

    Pope County has a County Distress Index score of 50.8 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,529th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 27th in Illinois out of 102 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Pope County?

    The primary driver of distress in Pope County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 88.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Pope County compare to neighboring counties?

    Pope County (50.8) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Saline County, IL (62.7); Williamson County, IL (56.5); Massac County, IL (56.5).

  • 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 Pope County?

    Pope County, Illinois has a population of approximately 3,707 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.