What is the poverty rate in Illinois?
Refreshed monthly
The poverty rate was about 11.6% of Illinois' population as of 2024. The poverty rate is the percentage of people whose household income falls below the poverty threshold set by the government. It measures the percentage of people in households that don’t earn enough to pay for basic needs like food, housing, and healthcare. In 2024, 1,438,470 people in Illinois were considered in poverty.
11.6%
of the population (2024)
1.44M
people living under the poverty line (2024)
Based on data from the American Community Survey dating back to 2010, Illinois's poverty rate hit a peak in 2011 of 15%. Its lowest point was in 2019 at 11.5%. The state's poverty rate was 11.6% in 2024, 0% percentage point lower than the previous year.
In 2024, 11.6% of Illinois's population were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate, 2010–2024
While the poverty rate shows the overall trend, the total number matters because many aid programs and funding decisions are based on how many people are in poverty, not just the percentage. In 2024, 1,438,470 people living in Illinois were in poverty — down 23.5% from the 2011 peak of 1,879,965.
In 2024, 1.44M people in Illinois were in poverty.
People living under poverty line, 2010–2024
Poverty doesn’t affect all groups equally. Rates vary widely by demographic group, family type and location.
What is the child poverty rate in Illinois?
From 2014 to 2024, the poverty rate for children under 18 in Illinois decreased from 20.2% to 14.1%. During the same period, the poverty rate for adults under 65 years decreased from 13.4% to 10.8%. For those older than 65, the poverty rate increased from 8.8% to 11.1%.
In 2024, 14.1% of children in Illinois were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate by age group, 2014–2024
How does poverty differ by race in Illinois?
Among racial or ethnic groups in Illinois during 2024, five had a higher poverty rate than the state’s overall rate: American Indian and Alaska Native, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race), some other race, and two or more races.
Three had a lower than average poverty rate: Asian, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, White alone, not Hispanic or Latino.
Over the previous ten years, the poverty rate for the American Indian and Alaska Native population shifted the most, decreasing from 21.4% in 2014 to 13% in 2024.
In Illinois, the poverty rate for the American Indian and Alaska Native population decreased from 21.4% in 2014 to 13.0% in 2024.
Poverty rate by race or ethnicity, 2014–2024
What counties in Illinois have the highest and lowest poverty rates?
In 2019-2023, the poverty rate among Illinois counties ranged from 4.6% in Monroe County to 26.1% in Pulaski County. The poverty rate in the state’s largest county — Cook County — was 13.3%.
In 2019-2023, the poverty rate among Illinois counties ranged from 4.6% to 26.1%.
Poverty rate
Poverty rate, by county (2023)
| 1. | Pulaski County | 26.1% |
| 2. | Jackson County | 21.8% |
| 3. | Alexander County | 21.0% |
| 4. | McDonough County | 19.9% |
| 5. | Union County | 19.4% |
| 6. | Schuyler County | 19.3% |
| 7. | Coles County | 18.4% |
| 8. | Champaign County | 18.0% |
| 9. | Vermilion County | 17.2% |
| 10. | Saline County | 17.1% |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
