Pulaski County, Illinois

County Distress Index: Elevated · 61.7 | 4,911 people · 6th most distressed in Illinois
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Pulaski County, IL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 61.7 — 705th 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 6th of 102 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Pulaski County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 93.4 — worse than roughly 93% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 93.4
Poverty Rate 91
Income vs. State Median 94
Child Poverty Rate 95
Community Vulnerability 69.3
Uninsured Rate 44
Disability Rate 95
Debt & Delinquency 60.0
Debt in Collections 57
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 49
Auto Loan Delinquency 95
Credit Card Delinquency 95
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 57
Employment & Wages 52.6
Unemployment Rate 95
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 43
Business Formation Rate 20
Housing Cost Burden 33.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 8
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 16
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 9
Homeownership Rate 79
Rent-to-Income Ratio 55

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Pulaski County
Pulaski County, IL 61.7 Elevated —
Alexander County, IL 65.3 Serious +3.5
Massac County, IL 56.5 Elevated -5.2
Union County, IL 52.2 Elevated -9.5
Johnson County, IL 49.7 Normal -12.0
McCracken County, KY 47.7 Normal -14.0
Ballard County, KY 36.2 Normal -25.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Pulaski County
Nowata County, OK 61.9 Elevated +0.2
Buffalo County, SD 61.9 Elevated +0.2
Mitchell County, TX 62.0 Elevated +0.3
Menifee County, KY 62.0 Elevated +0.3
Webster County, GA 61.4 Elevated -0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Pulaski 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 Pulaski 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 Pulaski County, Illinois?

    Pulaski County has a County Distress Index score of 61.7 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 705th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 6th in Illinois out of 102 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Pulaski County?

    The primary driver of distress in Pulaski County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 93.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Pulaski County compare to neighboring counties?

    Pulaski County (61.7) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Alexander County, IL (65.3); Massac County, IL (56.5); Union County, IL (52.2).

  • 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 Pulaski County?

    Pulaski County, Illinois has a population of approximately 4,911 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.