Wayne County, Illinois

County Distress Index: Elevated · 53.4 | 15,761 people · 21st most distressed in Illinois
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Wayne County, IL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 53.4 — 1339th 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 21st of 102 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Wayne County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 70.8 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 70.8
Unemployment Rate 78
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 56
Business Formation Rate 79
Community Vulnerability 67.9
Uninsured Rate 74
Disability Rate 62
Income & Poverty 59.0
Poverty Rate 43
Income vs. State Median 84
Child Poverty Rate 50
Housing Cost Burden 42.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 32
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 51
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 69
Homeownership Rate 24
Rent-to-Income Ratio 35
Debt & Delinquency 27.3
Debt in Collections 32
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 49
Auto Loan Delinquency 5
Credit Card Delinquency 34
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 37

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Wayne County
Wayne County, IL 53.4 Elevated —
Jefferson County, IL 58.7 Elevated +5.3
Marion County, IL 58.5 Elevated +5.0
White County, IL 51.3 Elevated -2.2
Clay County, IL 47.3 Normal -6.1
Richland County, IL 47.1 Normal -6.3
Hamilton County, IL 46.1 Normal -7.3
Edwards County, IL 46.0 Normal -7.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Wayne County
Cooke County, TX 53.4 Elevated 0.0
Wexford County, MI 53.4 Elevated +0.0
Lewis County, WV 53.5 Elevated +0.1
Adams County, WI 53.3 Elevated -0.1
Knox County, IN 53.3 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Wayne 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 Wayne 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 Wayne County, Illinois?

    Wayne County has a County Distress Index score of 53.4 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,339th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 21st in Illinois out of 102 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Wayne County?

    The primary driver of distress in Wayne County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 70.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Wayne County compare to neighboring counties?

    Wayne County (53.4) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Jefferson County, IL (58.7); Marion County, IL (58.5); White County, IL (51.3).

  • 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 Wayne County?

    Wayne County, Illinois has a population of approximately 15,761 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.