You’re probably never going to make enough money to live in the richest counties in Illinois.
The median household income in Dupage County, the richest county in Illinois is $107,035, significantly higher than the US median of $74,580, which means based purely on math most people never make enough to live there.
And that’s okay because it’s still fun to look at the people living in the lap of luxury.
So we used Saturday Night Science and the most recent Census to rank home prices and incomes for all 102 counties in the Prairie State. Let’s star gaze together.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | Summary
The 10 Richest Counties In Illinois For 2024
What is the richest county in Illinois? The richest county in Illinois is Dupage County. In contrast, the poorest county in state is Alexander County, according to the Census data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Illinois. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Illinois and the cheapest places to live in Illinois.
The Richest Counties In Illinois For 2024
1. Dupage County
Biggest Place: Chicago
Population: 930,559
Median Income: $107,035 (highest)
Median Home Price: $377,078 (highest)
More on Dupage County: Data
2. Kendall County
Biggest Place: Aurora
Population: 132,795
Median Income: $106,358 (2nd highest)
Median Home Price: $341,876 (2nd highest)
More on Kendall County: Data
3. Lake County
Biggest Place: Waukegan
Population: 713,159
Median Income: $104,553 (3rd highest)
Median Home Price: $331,991 (3rd highest)
More on Lake County: Data
4. Will County
Biggest Place: Aurora
Population: 696,774
Median Income: $103,678 (4th highest)
Median Home Price: $323,439 (5th highest)
More on Will County: Data
5. Kane County
Biggest Place: Aurora
Population: 517,254
Median Income: $96,400 (7th highest)
Median Home Price: $325,652 (4th highest)
More on Kane County: Data
6. Mchenry County
Biggest Place: Crystal Lake
Population: 311,133
Median Income: $100,101 (6th highest)
Median Home Price: $311,691 (6th highest)
More on Mchenry County: Data
7. Monroe County
Biggest Place: Columbia
Population: 34,905
Median Income: $100,685 (5th highest)
Median Home Price: $278,122 (9th highest)
More on Monroe County: Data
8. Grundy County
Biggest Place: Morris
Population: 52,624
Median Income: $89,993 (8th highest)
Median Home Price: $279,958 (8th highest)
More on Grundy County: Data
9. Cook County
Biggest Place: Chicago
Population: 5,225,367
Median Income: $78,304 (14th highest)
Median Home Price: $290,211 (7th highest)
More on Cook County: Data
10. Boone County
Biggest Place: Belvidere
Population: 53,459
Median Income: $80,502 (12th highest)
Median Home Price: $234,234 (11th highest)
More on Boone County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Illinois county is the richest?
To determine the richest county in Illinois, we have to look at a handful of metrics that correlate with how rich people are. To do that, we made assumptions about what makes a county rich. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to the American Community Survey data and Zillow for the most recent reporting period for data on the following:
- Average Home Price
- Median Income
We then ranked each county in Illinois for each of the criteria from one to 102, with one being the richest.
Taking the average rank across the two criteria, we created a Rich Score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Richest County In Illinois.”
The result is some of the places with the most expensive real estate and highest earners in the Prairie State.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our first time ranking the richest counties to live in Illinois. We have also ranked the richest states and richest cities in the United States.
Summary: The Richest Counties In Illinois For 2024
Living in Illinois can vary from one part of the state to the next, with pretty extreme variance in home prices and incomes across counties.
The richest counties in Illinois are DuPage County, Kendall County, Lake County, Will County, Kane County, McHenry County, Monroe County, Grundy County, Cook County, and Boone County.
Now you know the parts of the state where Goodwill will have the best goodies, and that’s what you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the poorest counties in Illinois according to the data:
- Alexander County
- Pulaski County
- Saline County
For more Illinois reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In Illinois
- Safest Places In Illinois
- Cheapest Places To Live In Illinois
- Best Places To Live In Illinois
Detailed List Of The Richest Counties In Illinois
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dupage County | 930,559 | $107,035 | $377,078 |
| 2 | Kendall County | 132,795 | $106,358 | $341,876 |
| 3 | Lake County | 713,159 | $104,553 | $331,991 |
| 4 | Will County | 696,774 | $103,678 | $323,439 |
| 5 | Kane County | 517,254 | $96,400 | $325,652 |
| 6 | Mchenry County | 311,133 | $100,101 | $311,691 |
| 7 | Monroe County | 34,905 | $100,685 | $278,122 |
| 8 | Grundy County | 52,624 | $89,993 | $279,958 |
| 9 | Cook County | 5,225,367 | $78,304 | $290,211 |
| 10 | Boone County | 53,459 | $80,502 | $234,234 |
| 11 | Woodford County | 38,414 | $80,093 | $195,813 |
| 12 | Piatt County | 16,698 | $81,151 | $186,405 |
| 13 | Mclean County | 171,284 | $75,356 | $224,915 |
| 14 | Menard County | 12,284 | $84,846 | $175,788 |
| 15 | Ogle County | 51,672 | $75,782 | $192,381 |
| 16 | Clinton County | 36,998 | $78,054 | $187,202 |
| 17 | Effingham County | 34,594 | $73,181 | $216,715 |
| 18 | Jersey County | 21,462 | $77,607 | $174,494 |
| 19 | Calhoun County | 4,472 | $88,059 | $158,742 |
| 20 | Dekalb County | 100,686 | $68,617 | $247,769 |
| 21 | Putnam County | 5,628 | $75,726 | $168,292 |
| 22 | Jo Daviess County | 21,942 | $67,729 | $223,564 |
| 23 | Madison County | 265,512 | $71,759 | $171,698 |
| 24 | Sangamon County | 196,122 | $71,653 | $168,549 |
| 25 | Tazewell County | 131,276 | $74,606 | $157,718 |
| 26 | St. Clair County | 256,791 | $68,915 | $167,079 |
| 27 | Washington County | 13,781 | $75,111 | $147,297 |
| 28 | Kankakee County | 107,421 | $65,489 | $192,125 |
| 29 | Lasalle County | 109,495 | $67,942 | $155,378 |
| 30 | Jasper County | 9,295 | $67,429 | $147,386 |
| 31 | Mercer County | 15,692 | $67,028 | $153,699 |
| 32 | Livingston County | 35,771 | $68,175 | $136,008 |
| 33 | Cumberland County | 10,447 | $71,274 | $133,362 |
| 34 | Moultrie County | 14,531 | $72,833 | $129,406 |
| 35 | Henry County | 49,157 | $66,313 | $143,832 |
| 36 | Adams County | 65,583 | $63,767 | $168,083 |
| 37 | Lee County | 34,221 | $64,588 | $154,726 |
| 38 | Champaign County | 206,525 | $61,090 | $198,110 |
| 39 | Shelby County | 21,042 | $65,585 | $138,927 |
| 40 | Douglas County | 19,714 | $67,177 | $133,891 |
| 41 | Johnson County | 13,313 | $63,295 | $164,855 |
| 42 | Rock Island County | 143,819 | $64,435 | $143,964 |
| 43 | Winnebago County | 284,591 | $61,738 | $169,046 |
| 44 | Schuyler County | 6,879 | $63,737 | $147,325 |
| 45 | Clark County | 15,467 | $65,874 | $119,796 |
| 46 | Peoria County | 181,186 | $63,409 | $132,542 |
| 47 | Bureau County | 33,203 | $64,165 | $120,973 |
| 48 | Randolph County | 30,413 | $63,860 | $124,173 |
| 49 | Macoupin County | 44,907 | $64,706 | $115,813 |
| 50 | Marshall County | 11,740 | $64,940 | $112,975 |
| 51 | Carroll County | 15,594 | $61,539 | $135,432 |
| 52 | Iroquois County | 27,043 | $62,866 | $126,379 |
| 53 | Brown County | 6,334 | $64,760 | $111,152 |
| 54 | Williamson County | 67,120 | $60,325 | $137,334 |
| 55 | De Witt County | 15,535 | $61,823 | $127,654 |
| 56 | Bond County | 16,750 | $58,617 | $141,980 |
| 57 | Whiteside County | 55,569 | $62,828 | $120,330 |
| 58 | Henderson County | 6,374 | $64,946 | $102,756 |
| 59 | Crawford County | 18,729 | $64,163 | $108,842 |
| 60 | Logan County | 28,027 | $62,547 | $118,049 |
| 61 | Pope County | 3,799 | $57,582 | $134,954 |
| 62 | Morgan County | 32,882 | $61,188 | $116,636 |
| 63 | Scott County | 4,899 | $70,500 | $71,083 |
| 64 | Richland County | 15,716 | $61,607 | $114,661 |
| 65 | Ford County | 13,484 | $58,930 | $125,567 |
| 66 | Stephenson County | 44,482 | $57,527 | $131,268 |
| 67 | Cass County | 12,955 | $64,826 | $87,117 |
| 68 | Hancock County | 17,582 | $61,026 | $108,843 |
| 69 | Montgomery County | 28,352 | $61,796 | $104,209 |
| 70 | Warren County | 16,760 | $62,700 | $100,709 |
| 71 | Union County | 17,122 | $54,090 | $131,340 |
| 72 | Macon County | 103,542 | $59,622 | $104,251 |
| 73 | Jefferson County | 37,043 | $58,384 | $107,555 |
| 74 | Fayette County | 21,464 | $51,962 | $128,844 |
| 75 | Marion County | 37,543 | $59,099 | $96,810 |
| 76 | Coles County | 47,076 | $53,732 | $115,288 |
| 77 | Christian County | 33,893 | $56,933 | $102,914 |
| 78 | Greene County | 12,015 | $58,900 | $87,199 |
| 79 | Stark County | 5,395 | $58,125 | $93,231 |
| 80 | Hamilton County | 8,008 | $60,574 | $85,498 |
| 81 | Massac County | 14,135 | $57,365 | $95,457 |
| 82 | Wabash County | 11,321 | $54,074 | $104,675 |
| 83 | Fulton County | 33,691 | $57,223 | $93,452 |
| 84 | Clay County | 13,248 | $58,028 | $90,199 |
| 85 | Edwards County | 6,182 | $60,784 | $76,906 |
| 86 | Mason County | 13,074 | $58,479 | $86,743 |
| 87 | Wayne County | 16,127 | $53,522 | $101,811 |
| 88 | Pike County | 14,776 | $55,514 | $92,549 |
| 89 | Jackson County | 53,176 | $44,847 | $106,026 |
| 90 | Perry County | 20,996 | $56,338 | $87,134 |
| 91 | White County | 13,834 | $54,605 | $85,980 |
| 92 | Edgar County | 16,852 | $56,687 | $79,621 |
| 93 | Knox County | 49,751 | $50,263 | $93,279 |
| 94 | Lawrence County | 15,302 | $55,811 | $67,582 |
| 95 | Hardin County | 3,665 | $53,026 | $82,517 |
| 96 | Vermilion County | 74,113 | $52,787 | $82,159 |
| 97 | Mcdonough County | 27,370 | $48,904 | $86,240 |
| 98 | Franklin County | 37,810 | $51,031 | $83,458 |
| 99 | Gallatin County | 4,967 | $51,868 | $69,935 |
| 100 | Saline County | 23,662 | $51,710 | $70,697 |