Best overall
Monroe County
Overall score 77.2
Economy 80.9 / Affordability 69.8
State rankings
Compare counties in Illinois by affordability, schools, safety, taxes, economy, home values, and quality-of-life tradeoffs.
Use the county-size filter to compare large metro counties, mid-size counties, small counties, and rural areas separately. These modules are a starting point, then you can open the full rankings table or compare individual counties.
County size helps compare places with similar scale. Large metro counties and small rural counties can rank well for very different reasons.
Showing all 102 Illinois counties
Put Illinois counties side by side.
Compare housing, utilities, groceries, transportation, healthcare, insurance, and tax-pressure estimates.
Open the full Illinois ranking table with filters.
Scan county scores geographically across the country.
Compact winners for common county-search priorities.
Best overall
Overall score 77.2
Economy 80.9 / Affordability 69.8
Best for families
Family score 85.4
Schools 98 / Safety 96.4
Best value
Value score 72.7
Affordability 88.1 / Taxes 30.9
Most affordable
Affordability 96.1
Typical home $122,029
Best schools
Schools 98
Safety 96.4 / Economy 80.9
Safest
Safety 100
Schools 41.7 / Peace 86.8
Low taxes
Taxes 47
Affordability 88.6 / Typical home $98,799
Peace & quiet
Peace & Quiet 94.9
Density and built-environment signals
Use these short lists to jump into the state rankings that match your priorities.
Typical home $325,385
77.2
Overall
Typical home $217,319
76.1
Overall
Typical home $211,543
73.8
Overall
Typical home $221,363
73.6
Overall
Typical home $215,218
73
Overall
Typical home $325,385
85.4
Family
Typical home $217,319
84.9
Family
Typical home $211,543
80.9
Family
Typical home $221,363
80.8
Family
Typical home $150,970
79.4
Family
Typical home $160,742
72.7
Value
Typical home $122,029
70.4
Value
Typical home $98,376
70.3
Value
Typical home $119,814
70.1
Value
Typical home $161,882
69.9
Value
Typical home $122,029
96.1
Afford.
Typical home $89,289
95
Afford.
Typical home $98,376
94.8
Afford.
Typical home $96,603
94.7
Afford.
Typical home $104,883
94.4
Afford.
Typical home $325,385
98
Schools
Typical home $432,425
97.6
Schools
Typical home $221,363
95.7
Schools
Typical home $217,319
91.9
Schools
Typical home $357,917
88
Schools
Typical home $98,799
47
Taxes
Typical home $150,792
45.1
Taxes
Typical home $189,505
37.4
Taxes
Typical home $95,312
35.1
Taxes
Typical home $69,792
34.9
Taxes
Typical home $98,376
94.9
Quiet
Typical home $152,417
94.9
Quiet
Typical home $112,082
92.7
Quiet
Typical home $136,794
92.3
Quiet
Typical home $177,656
92.3
Quiet
Typical home $119,814
100
Safety
Typical home $163,773
98.5
Safety
Typical home $153,971
98.5
Safety
Typical home $152,417
98.3
Safety
Typical home $160,742
97.9
Safety
Put two counties side by side before you narrow the search.
The best county in Illinois depends on what you need most. Families may care more about schools and safety, budget-focused movers may care more about affordability and taxes, and quiet-living households may care more about density and peace & quiet. Large counties and rural counties can rank well for very different reasons, so use the county-size filter to compare places with similar scale.
For best overall counties in Illinois, Monroe County, Clinton County, and Effingham County stand out in this model because they combine several public-data signals instead of winning on only one category.
View this rankingFor families, Monroe County, Clinton County, and Effingham County score well in the family blend of schools, safety, affordability, taxes, economy, and peace & quiet.
View this rankingFor affordability-focused movers, Crawford County, Scott County, and Edgar County may appeal because they score well on housing and income tradeoff signals in the current model.
View this rankingFor school-first households, Monroe County, DuPage County, and Woodford County lead the current school score, though families should still compare district-level details.
View this rankingFor lower tax-pressure searches, Hardin County, Pope County, and Johnson County score well on the tax model, but buyers should still check local property taxes and carrying costs.
View this rankingFor quieter-living searches, Edgar County, Brown County, and Warren County stand out on peace & quiet signals such as density and built-environment indicators.
View this rankingCompare county scale carefully in Illinois; large metro counties and rural counties can rank well for very different reasons.
Check town-level housing costs, commute patterns, school districts, and local services before making a final move decision.
The best county depends on your priorities. In this ranking model, Monroe County currently scores highest overall, but families, budget-focused movers, and quiet-living households may prefer different counties.
Based on the family ranking blend of schools, safety, affordability, taxes, economy, and peace & quiet, Monroe County stands out in this model.
Crawford County scores highly on affordability in this model, but buyers should still compare home prices, taxes, insurance, commute costs, and local job access.
Use the county-size filter. Large metro counties and small rural counties can rank well for very different reasons, so comparing similar county sizes usually gives a more realistic shortlist.
No. These rankings use public-data signals such as affordability, schools, safety, taxes, economy, home values, and peace & quiet. Local reviews and personal visits should still be part of a final decision.
Monroe County currently leads the school-score view, while Hardin County stands out on the tax-score view. Use the rankings presets to compare those priorities separately.
Showing all 102 Illinois counties ranked by the default generated overall score.
| Rank | County | Overall | Economy | Afford. | Schools | Safety | Taxes | Peace & Quiet | Typical home | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monroe County FIPS 17133 | 77.2 | 80.9 | 69.8 | 98 | 96.4 | 13.2 | 83.3 | $325,385 | $102,880 |
| 2 | Clinton County FIPS 17027 | 76.1 | 72.1 | 80.6 | 91.9 | 96.4 | 7.8 | 85.3 | $217,319 | $86,588 |
| 3 | Effingham County FIPS 17049 | 73.8 | 68.7 | 79.1 | 80.2 | 93.4 | 22.3 | 90.7 | $211,543 | $80,404 |
| 4 | Woodford County FIPS 17203 | 73.6 | 71.8 | 83.1 | 95.7 | 72.8 | 4.7 | 86.8 | $221,363 | $91,483 |
| 5 | Piatt County FIPS 17147 | 73 | 72 | 86.2 | 73.8 | 84.9 | 14.1 | 90.1 | $215,218 | $94,811 |
| 6 | Shelby County FIPS 17173 | 72 | 58.6 | 86.2 | 68.6 | 97.7 | 28.9 | 91 | $161,882 | $72,095 |
| 7 | Cumberland County FIPS 17035 | 70.9 | 70.5 | 88.1 | 45.1 | 97.9 | 30.9 | 88.7 | $160,742 | $73,327 |
| 8 | Ford County FIPS 17053 | 69.5 | 55.5 | 83.6 | 79.6 | 90.7 | 7.3 | 90.2 | $150,970 | $62,439 |
| 9 | Douglas County FIPS 17041 | 68.1 | 66.8 | 89 | 45.6 | 94.7 | 12.2 | 91.2 | $154,287 | $77,320 |
| 10 | Massac County FIPS 17127 | 68.1 | 45.6 | 89.2 | 76.8 | 86.1 | 19 | 85.2 | $112,646 | $65,116 |
| 11 | Wayne County FIPS 17191 | 67.9 | 51.4 | 89 | 68.8 | 81.3 | 23.8 | 89.2 | $121,052 | $55,521 |
| 12 | Edgar County FIPS 17045 | 67.7 | 48.4 | 94.8 | 51.8 | 95.5 | 24.3 | 94.9 | $98,376 | $59,941 |
| 13 | Calhoun County FIPS 17013 | 67.6 | 61.2 | 82.5 | 74.4 | 72.9 | 23.8 | 70.4 | $191,064 | $93,203 |
| 14 | Kendall County FIPS 17093 | 67 | 69 | 63.8 | 84.2 | 94.6 | 0 | 56.1 | $389,876 | $111,601 |
| 15 | Livingston County FIPS 17105 | 66.7 | 58.6 | 84.2 | 61.3 | 88.6 | 8.5 | 91.4 | $163,480 | $73,790 |
| 16 | Hancock County FIPS 17067 | 66.1 | 57.5 | 91.1 | 47.2 | 91.8 | 13.2 | 87.4 | $110,782 | $65,865 |
| 17 | Macoupin County FIPS 17117 | 65.9 | 50.3 | 90.2 | 56.7 | 91.8 | 15.9 | 81.7 | $134,474 | $70,805 |
| 18 | Marshall County FIPS 17123 | 65.9 | 55.6 | 90.1 | 51.3 | 94.3 | 9 | 84.2 | $134,025 | $71,585 |
| 19 | Washington County FIPS 17189 | 65.9 | 59.4 | 90.3 | 54.3 | 81.8 | 9.8 | 87.6 | $157,367 | $78,224 |
| 20 | Jasper County FIPS 17079 | 65.8 | 62.1 | 86.2 | 73.6 | 52.3 | 18.1 | 86.2 | $168,590 | $74,755 |
| 21 | Jersey County FIPS 17083 | 65.7 | 59 | 79.7 | 68.9 | 80.7 | 11.3 | 80.1 | $196,452 | $80,361 |
| 22 | Montgomery County FIPS 17135 | 65.5 | 63.6 | 90.2 | 43.2 | 83.3 | 14.8 | 89.6 | $121,155 | $63,620 |
| 23 | Grundy County FIPS 17063 | 65.4 | 55.6 | 64.6 | 87.6 | 91.5 | 0 | 82.3 | $315,211 | $92,235 |
| 24 | Jo Daviess County FIPS 17085 | 65.4 | 59 | 64.6 | 77.6 | 92.9 | 8.3 | 84.2 | $247,009 | $73,993 |
| 25 | Ogle County FIPS 17141 | 65.2 | 53.2 | 76.4 | 68.4 | 96.2 | 3.9 | 85.7 | $218,880 | $82,132 |
| 26 | Whiteside County FIPS 17195 | 65.2 | 49.7 | 89.1 | 57.4 | 91.7 | 9 | 88.1 | $138,238 | $67,500 |
| 27 | Brown County FIPS 17009 | 65.1 | 63.1 | 82.2 | 38.8 | 98.3 | 15.1 | 94.9 | $152,417 | $67,917 |
| 28 | Clark County FIPS 17023 | 65.1 | 50.8 | 90.3 | 47.1 | 93.7 | 19.6 | 88 | $139,900 | $72,927 |
| 29 | Wabash County FIPS 17185 | 65.1 | 47.8 | 88.8 | 41.7 | 100 | 32.5 | 86.8 | $119,814 | $57,086 |
| 30 | McHenry County FIPS 17111 | 64.9 | 66.4 | 65.6 | 88 | 77.8 | 0 | 51.8 | $357,917 | $104,802 |
| 31 | Hamilton County FIPS 17065 | 64.6 | 45.5 | 93.4 | 48.9 | 86.4 | 27.8 | 87.3 | $110,772 | $65,746 |
| 32 | Mercer County FIPS 17131 | 64.5 | 49.8 | 87.3 | 59.9 | 87.2 | 8.9 | 86.2 | $163,935 | $74,182 |
| 33 | Richland County FIPS 17159 | 64.4 | 59.3 | 85.1 | 42.8 | 84.1 | 26.4 | 90.3 | $133,091 | $62,455 |
| 34 | Crawford County FIPS 17033 | 64 | 54 | 96.1 | 27.8 | 94.7 | 21.1 | 92 | $122,029 | $71,674 |
| 35 | Moultrie County FIPS 17139 | 64 | 53.2 | 80.7 | 49.2 | 92 | 23.3 | 92 | $181,415 | $71,784 |
| 36 | Bond County FIPS 17005 | 63.9 | 47.7 | 81.9 | 59.8 | 95.8 | 7.2 | 88 | $162,558 | $65,959 |
| 37 | Henry County FIPS 17073 | 63.5 | 47.2 | 85.4 | 52 | 98.5 | 7 | 89 | $163,773 | $71,911 |
| 38 | Stark County FIPS 17175 | 63.5 | 45.4 | 89 | 55.4 | 78.8 | 25.8 | 88.1 | $131,532 | $62,878 |
| 39 | Logan County FIPS 17107 | 63.3 | 43.5 | 86.8 | 54.4 | 94.5 | 10.5 | 92.3 | $136,794 | $66,358 |
| 40 | Putnam County FIPS 17155 | 63 | 47.5 | 82.3 | 53.2 | 96.7 | 13.7 | 80.8 | $179,202 | $75,590 |
| 41 | Scott County FIPS 17171 | 62.8 | 44 | 95 | 37.8 | 94.6 | 18.8 | 87.7 | $89,289 | $66,705 |
| 42 | Williamson County FIPS 17199 | 62.5 | 49.5 | 84.6 | 53.3 | 90.1 | 7.6 | 80.4 | $149,240 | $65,604 |
| 43 | Menard County FIPS 17129 | 62.4 | 63.2 | 82.6 | 36.4 | 89 | 8.8 | 88.4 | $199,170 | $82,176 |
| 44 | Iroquois County FIPS 17075 | 62 | 46.7 | 86.9 | 65.4 | 67.9 | 9.4 | 88.5 | $149,561 | $66,255 |
| 45 | Morgan County FIPS 17137 | 61.9 | 48.4 | 88.6 | 41.5 | 91.4 | 11.2 | 89.8 | $128,347 | $66,306 |
| 46 | Mason County FIPS 17125 | 61.7 | 42 | 91.6 | 49.7 | 87.3 | 11.4 | 83.4 | $92,676 | $62,845 |
| 47 | Carroll County FIPS 17015 | 61.5 | 43 | 77.3 | 58 | 94.2 | 15.1 | 83.7 | $156,363 | $60,758 |
| 48 | McDonough County FIPS 17109 | 61.5 | 38.2 | 87.4 | 51.7 | 97.3 | 6.3 | 90.8 | $92,986 | $52,795 |
| 49 | Madison County FIPS 17119 | 61.5 | 59.5 | 80 | 45 | 91.8 | 6 | 65.6 | $193,117 | $75,793 |
| 50 | Greene County FIPS 17061 | 61.3 | 51.7 | 89.4 | 32.4 | 93.3 | 15.8 | 79.8 | $101,093 | $62,192 |
| 51 | White County FIPS 17193 | 61.1 | 45.8 | 90.5 | 43.3 | 77.2 | 24.9 | 86.3 | $104,282 | $54,813 |
| 52 | Sangamon County FIPS 17167 | 60.7 | 56 | 77.6 | 50.9 | 84.9 | 4.4 | 78.9 | $190,360 | $75,357 |
| 53 | Lawrence County FIPS 17101 | 60.6 | 39.4 | 92.2 | 55 | 58.5 | 35.1 | 88.7 | $95,312 | $55,324 |
| 54 | Perry County FIPS 17145 | 60.6 | 40.2 | 94.4 | 36.5 | 92.9 | 14.5 | 85.9 | $104,883 | $62,118 |
| 55 | Randolph County FIPS 17157 | 60.4 | 49.7 | 84.1 | 23.9 | 98.5 | 30.1 | 87.7 | $153,971 | $68,131 |
| 56 | Adams County FIPS 17001 | 60.2 | 56.4 | 77.6 | 34.1 | 92.2 | 14.8 | 92.3 | $177,656 | $66,220 |
| 57 | Tazewell County FIPS 17179 | 60.2 | 56 | 83.1 | 72.2 | 43 | 5.1 | 80.3 | $183,602 | $77,982 |
| 58 | Edwards County FIPS 17047 | 59.2 | 40.7 | 90.2 | 46.3 | 63.9 | 32.4 | 88.6 | $115,421 | $60,519 |
| 59 | Clay County FIPS 17025 | 59 | 36.1 | 91.3 | 29.6 | 92.4 | 30.8 | 86.7 | $107,024 | $60,417 |
| 60 | Christian County FIPS 17021 | 58.7 | 49.5 | 87.5 | 38 | 70.4 | 18.7 | 89.2 | $128,570 | $62,611 |
| 61 | Coles County FIPS 17029 | 58.6 | 49.1 | 76.8 | 39.1 | 94.7 | 6 | 89.9 | $140,128 | $56,478 |
| 62 | Schuyler County FIPS 17169 | 58.5 | 38.8 | 86.9 | 27.8 | 96.4 | 25.3 | 90 | $145,816 | $65,948 |
| 63 | McLean County FIPS 17113 | 58.2 | 58.2 | 67.3 | 82.6 | 40 | 0 | 86.7 | $251,617 | $79,905 |
| 64 | Knox County FIPS 17095 | 57.8 | 40.5 | 87.4 | 37.7 | 86.5 | 9.1 | 88.3 | $111,709 | $57,030 |
| 65 | Cass County FIPS 17017 | 57.7 | 49.6 | 94.7 | 5 | 97.2 | 14.7 | 91.2 | $96,603 | $68,125 |
| 66 | Lake County FIPS 17097 | 57.7 | 61.1 | 60.1 | 85.3 | 62.7 | 0 | 18.5 | $384,534 | $110,416 |
| 67 | Lee County FIPS 17103 | 57.5 | 48.2 | 79.7 | 32.6 | 93.9 | 6.2 | 86.9 | $174,240 | $70,292 |
| 68 | Pike County FIPS 17149 | 57.5 | 50.8 | 87.9 | 15.8 | 85.1 | 25.7 | 86.7 | $113,376 | $59,777 |
| 69 | Will County FIPS 17197 | 57.5 | 62.4 | 66.8 | 80.7 | 51.3 | 0 | 27.9 | $366,080 | $109,984 |
| 70 | St. Clair County FIPS 17163 | 57.3 | 50.3 | 79.4 | 39 | 91 | 2.6 | 62.9 | $175,665 | $73,854 |
| 71 | Fayette County FIPS 17051 | 56.5 | 40 | 89.2 | 19.4 | 89.8 | 24.9 | 87.4 | $142,741 | $60,944 |
| 72 | De Witt County FIPS 17039 | 56.4 | 54.5 | 87.7 | 19.2 | 74.8 | 13.1 | 89 | $148,664 | $71,678 |
| 73 | Fulton County FIPS 17057 | 56.2 | 41.3 | 91.8 | 24 | 85.6 | 9.5 | 85.8 | $95,759 | $60,599 |
| 74 | Johnson County FIPS 17087 | 56 | 37.9 | 73.4 | 47.4 | 74 | 37.4 | 77.7 | $189,505 | $62,528 |
| 75 | Franklin County FIPS 17055 | 55.6 | 37.1 | 92.7 | 17 | 92.6 | 17.8 | 81.3 | $89,412 | $56,740 |
| 76 | Bureau County FIPS 17011 | 55.4 | 36.4 | 88 | 28.2 | 87.5 | 10 | 90.6 | $143,492 | $69,257 |
| 77 | Henderson County FIPS 17071 | 55.3 | 42.8 | 89.9 | 28.8 | 63.9 | 26.3 | 83.9 | $122,063 | $62,227 |
| 78 | Union County FIPS 17181 | 55.2 | 37.5 | 79.9 | 27.3 | 84 | 34 | 86.8 | $150,462 | $55,728 |
| 79 | DeKalb County FIPS 17037 | 54.5 | 47.1 | 51.7 | 57.1 | 95.7 | 0 | 80 | $289,255 | $70,724 |
| 80 | Saline County FIPS 17165 | 54.5 | 45.1 | 92.9 | 8.7 | 83.7 | 13.9 | 86.1 | $84,756 | $53,117 |
| 81 | Marion County FIPS 17121 | 54.4 | 41 | 90 | 21 | 74.7 | 18.3 | 88.6 | $117,481 | $61,240 |
| 82 | Peoria County FIPS 17143 | 54.2 | 39.6 | 79.8 | 34.1 | 91.9 | 0 | 75 | $156,125 | $65,108 |
| 83 | Stephenson County FIPS 17177 | 54 | 46.8 | 80.7 | 26.6 | 81.4 | 2 | 88.6 | $153,776 | $64,043 |
| 84 | Boone County FIPS 17007 | 53.7 | 43.8 | 69.5 | 38.3 | 91.9 | 0 | 78.1 | $280,540 | $84,571 |
| 85 | Macon County FIPS 17115 | 53.2 | 34.2 | 86.4 | 20.9 | 94.4 | 6.4 | 81.3 | $123,099 | $62,666 |
| 86 | Jefferson County FIPS 17081 | 53.1 | 44.4 | 85.5 | 17.1 | 76.8 | 11.6 | 89.6 | $134,910 | $63,118 |
| 87 | Gallatin County FIPS 17059 | 52.7 | 33 | 92.3 | 15 | 81.9 | 18.5 | 85.7 | $79,256 | $59,219 |
| 88 | Kane County FIPS 17089 | 52.6 | 60.9 | 60 | 56.4 | 67.1 | 0 | 19.7 | $373,804 | $103,163 |
| 89 | DuPage County FIPS 17043 | 51.4 | 67.9 | 52.8 | 97.6 | 4.8 | 0 | 19.1 | $432,425 | $112,096 |
| 90 | Rock Island County FIPS 17161 | 51.4 | 36.5 | 83.8 | 16.7 | 94.9 | 1.8 | 72 | $151,236 | $67,159 |
| 91 | Kankakee County FIPS 17091 | 51.3 | 41.9 | 70 | 29.2 | 90 | 0 | 79.5 | $217,322 | $71,281 |
| 92 | LaSalle County FIPS 17099 | 49.7 | 38.1 | 78.2 | 36.1 | 58.5 | 4.2 | 83.4 | $188,570 | $73,045 |
| 93 | Vermilion County FIPS 17183 | 49.7 | 27 | 90.2 | 11.2 | 83.1 | 13.4 | 87.5 | $95,715 | $56,877 |
| 94 | Pope County FIPS 17151 | 49.5 | 42.5 | 78.7 | 16.3 | 51.5 | 45.1 | 74.5 | $150,792 | $60,050 |
| 95 | Warren County FIPS 17187 | 49.4 | 44.9 | 90.7 | 20.9 | 34.7 | 15 | 92.7 | $112,082 | $67,385 |
| 96 | Jackson County FIPS 17077 | 48.5 | 34.1 | 72.8 | 21.1 | 88.3 | 1.3 | 84.2 | $123,804 | $48,763 |
| 97 | Hardin County FIPS 17069 | 48 | 43.1 | 88.6 | 10.6 | 30.1 | 47 | 75.4 | $98,799 | $54,271 |
| 98 | Winnebago County FIPS 17201 | 47.5 | 37.2 | 68.7 | 22.9 | 91.9 | 0 | 54.1 | $202,626 | $65,837 |
| 99 | Alexander County FIPS 17003 | 45.9 | 23.2 | 87.7 | 3.5 | 80 | 18 | 73 | $54,552 | $47,043 |
| 100 | Champaign County FIPS 17019 | 43.8 | 48.8 | 56.9 | 46.9 | 25.9 | 0 | 81.4 | $231,346 | $63,683 |
| 101 | Cook County FIPS 17031 | 38.6 | 46.4 | 50.8 | 39.1 | 38 | 0 | 14.9 | $326,039 | $83,498 |
| 102 | Pulaski County FIPS 17153 | 37.2 | 11.6 | 85.2 | 2.3 | 35 | 34.9 | 75.1 | $69,792 | $42,463 |