Saline County, Illinois

County Distress Index: Elevated · 62.7 | 22,873 people · 5th most distressed in Illinois
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Saline County, IL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 62.7 — 633rd 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 5th of 102 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 6 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Saline County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 82.6 — worse than roughly 83% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 82.6
Poverty Rate 80
Income vs. State Median 90
Child Poverty Rate 78
Employment & Wages 66.6
Unemployment Rate 82
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 38
Business Formation Rate 81
Community Vulnerability 60.4
Uninsured Rate 28
Disability Rate 93
Debt & Delinquency 54.8
Debt in Collections 63
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 69
Auto Loan Delinquency 61
Credit Card Delinquency 68
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 62
Housing Cost Burden 49.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 47
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 76
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 29
Homeownership Rate 47
Rent-to-Income Ratio 47

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Saline County
Saline County, IL 62.7 Elevated —
Franklin County, IL 65.6 Serious +2.8
Williamson County, IL 56.5 Elevated -6.2
Hardin County, IL 54.0 Elevated -8.8
Pope County, IL 50.8 Elevated -12.0
Johnson County, IL 49.7 Normal -13.1
Gallatin County, IL 47.4 Normal -15.4
Hamilton County, IL 46.1 Normal -16.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Saline County
Polk County, AR 62.8 Elevated +0.0
Monroe County, TN 62.7 Elevated -0.0
Freestone County, TX 62.7 Elevated -0.0
Fentress County, TN 62.8 Elevated +0.0
Dorchester County, MD 62.7 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Saline 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 Saline 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 →

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Saline County has a County Distress Index score of 62.7 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 633rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 5th in Illinois out of 102 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Saline County?

    The primary driver of distress in Saline County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 82.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Saline County compare to neighboring counties?

    Saline County (62.7) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Franklin County, IL (65.6); Williamson County, IL (56.5); Hardin County, IL (54.0).

  • 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 Saline County?

    Saline County, Illinois has a population of approximately 22,873 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.