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 $110,502, 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 2025
- DuPage County
- Lake County
- Kendall County
- Will County
- Kane County
- McHenry County
- Monroe County
- Cook County
- Grundy County
- Woodford County
What is the richest county in Illinois? The richest county in Illinois is Dupage County. In contrast, the poorest county in state is Pulaski 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 2025
1. Dupage County
Biggest Place: Chicago
Population: 927,263
Median Income: $110,502 (highest)
Median Home Price: $374,100 (highest)
More on Dupage County:
2. Lake County
Biggest Place: Waukegan
Population: 711,885
Median Income: $108,917 (3rd highest)
Median Home Price: $326,600 (2nd highest)
More on Lake County:
3. Kendall County
Biggest Place: Aurora
Population: 135,053
Median Income: $110,474 (2nd highest)
Median Home Price: $298,900 (5th highest)
More on Kendall County:
4. Will County
Biggest Place: Aurora
Population: 698,450
Median Income: $107,799 (4th highest)
Median Home Price: $298,000 (6th highest)
More on Will County:
5. Kane County
Biggest Place: Aurora
Population: 516,097
Median Income: $100,678 (7th highest)
Median Home Price: $303,000 (4th highest)
More on Kane County:
6. Mchenry County
Biggest Place: Crystal Lake
Population: 311,366
Median Income: $102,836 (5th highest)
Median Home Price: $286,900 (7th highest)
More on Mchenry County:
7. Monroe County
Biggest Place: Columbia
Population: 34,969
Median Income: $101,635 (6th highest)
Median Home Price: $265,600 (8th highest)
More on Monroe County:
8. Cook County
Biggest Place: Chicago
Population: 5,185,812
Median Income: $81,797 (13th highest)
Median Home Price: $305,200 (3rd highest)
More on Cook County:
9. Grundy County
Biggest Place: Morris
Population: 52,920
Median Income: $93,060 (8th highest)
Median Home Price: $259,200 (9th highest)
More on Grundy County:
10. Woodford County
Biggest Place: Eureka
Population: 38,348
Median Income: $85,629 (11th highest)
Median Home Price: $193,800 (15th highest)
More on Woodford County:
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 2025. 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 2025
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, Lake County, Kendall County, Will County, Kane County, McHenry County, Monroe County, Cook County, Grundy County, and Woodford 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:
- Pulaski County
- Alexander County
- Franklin County
For more Illinois reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Illinois
- Richest Cities In Illinois
- Best Counties To Live In Illinois
- Safest Places In Illinois
Detailed List Of The Richest Counties In Illinois
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dupage County | 927,263 | $110,502 | $374,100 |
| 2 | Lake County | 711,885 | $108,917 | $326,600 |
| 3 | Kendall County | 135,053 | $110,474 | $298,900 |
| 4 | Will County | 698,450 | $107,799 | $298,000 |
| 5 | Kane County | 516,097 | $100,678 | $303,000 |
| 6 | Mchenry County | 311,366 | $102,836 | $286,900 |
| 7 | Monroe County | 34,969 | $101,635 | $265,600 |
| 8 | Cook County | 5,185,812 | $81,797 | $305,200 |
| 9 | Grundy County | 52,920 | $93,060 | $259,200 |
| 10 | Woodford County | 38,348 | $85,629 | $193,800 |
| 11 | Boone County | 53,316 | $81,638 | $198,600 |
| 12 | Calhoun County | 4,406 | $92,095 | $174,000 |
| 13 | Clinton County | 36,899 | $82,314 | $180,500 |
| 14 | Mclean County | 170,882 | $78,329 | $198,300 |
| 15 | Piatt County | 16,702 | $87,516 | $173,200 |
| 16 | Ogle County | 51,536 | $79,244 | $184,100 |
| 17 | Menard County | 12,169 | $81,334 | $179,300 |
| 18 | Jo Daviess County | 21,918 | $74,954 | $193,900 |
| 19 | Effingham County | 34,505 | $75,380 | $179,800 |
| 20 | Jersey County | 21,336 | $79,104 | $168,800 |
| 21 | Putnam County | 5,600 | $77,526 | $167,800 |
| 22 | Dekalb County | 100,512 | $69,022 | $231,900 |
| 23 | Sangamon County | 195,217 | $74,114 | $170,300 |
| 24 | Tazewell County | 130,555 | $76,704 | $164,500 |
| 25 | Madison County | 264,631 | $74,800 | $167,900 |
| 26 | Washington County | 13,682 | $75,652 | $149,800 |
| 27 | St. Clair County | 254,777 | $70,178 | $168,800 |
| 28 | Kankakee County | 106,833 | $68,325 | $185,700 |
| 29 | Lasalle County | 109,049 | $72,281 | $154,900 |
| 30 | Douglas County | 19,686 | $74,186 | $142,600 |
| 31 | Brown County | 6,320 | $72,288 | $142,200 |
| 32 | Mercer County | 15,619 | $71,710 | $139,300 |
| 33 | Champaign County | 206,098 | $63,091 | $205,100 |
| 34 | Lee County | 34,058 | $68,459 | $155,100 |
| 35 | Henry County | 48,948 | $69,912 | $145,300 |
| 36 | Livingston County | 35,659 | $70,796 | $131,500 |
| 37 | Marshall County | 11,715 | $69,818 | $137,800 |
| 38 | Randolph County | 30,142 | $68,870 | $134,100 |
| 39 | Adams County | 65,166 | $64,962 | $155,900 |
| 40 | Rock Island County | 142,995 | $66,768 | $144,700 |
| 41 | Johnson County | 13,350 | $65,203 | $148,200 |
| 42 | Williamson County | 66,902 | $65,521 | $145,600 |
| 43 | Peoria County | 179,831 | $64,938 | $152,600 |
| 44 | Jasper County | 9,233 | $71,094 | $122,900 |
| 45 | Shelby County | 20,867 | $68,457 | $130,400 |
| 46 | Clark County | 15,328 | $70,625 | $123,100 |
| 47 | Winnebago County | 283,289 | $64,363 | $155,100 |
| 48 | Macoupin County | 44,566 | $68,518 | $126,100 |
| 49 | Pope County | 3,757 | $62,500 | $165,300 |
| 50 | Moultrie County | 14,469 | $71,676 | $121,500 |
| 51 | Morgan County | 32,621 | $65,175 | $128,700 |
| 52 | Cumberland County | 10,378 | $69,826 | $117,700 |
| 53 | Bureau County | 33,027 | $65,894 | $121,900 |
| 54 | Scott County | 4,847 | $73,013 | $101,700 |
| 55 | Whiteside County | 55,192 | $64,536 | $125,800 |
| 56 | Crawford County | 18,588 | $67,614 | $113,700 |
| 57 | Logan County | 27,870 | $64,188 | $125,900 |
| 58 | De Witt County | 15,461 | $64,802 | $124,200 |
| 59 | Bond County | 16,627 | $61,603 | $133,100 |
| 60 | Stephenson County | 44,042 | $61,943 | $127,500 |
| 61 | Iroquois County | 26,746 | $62,439 | $125,400 |
| 62 | Schuyler County | 6,826 | $66,059 | $106,200 |
| 63 | Hancock County | 17,434 | $65,044 | $108,400 |
| 64 | Macon County | 102,591 | $62,449 | $121,800 |
| 65 | Massac County | 13,958 | $62,584 | $118,000 |
| 66 | Henderson County | 6,284 | $65,651 | $101,600 |
| 67 | Union County | 16,972 | $56,420 | $131,700 |
| 68 | Jefferson County | 36,808 | $61,102 | $118,400 |
| 69 | Ford County | 13,396 | $60,782 | $118,100 |
| 70 | Warren County | 16,576 | $64,650 | $101,300 |
| 71 | Hamilton County | 7,972 | $61,520 | $108,800 |
| 72 | Mason County | 12,878 | $62,127 | $106,100 |
| 73 | Carroll County | 15,621 | $60,871 | $113,500 |
| 74 | Stark County | 5,324 | $62,284 | $103,500 |
| 75 | Cass County | 12,826 | $64,907 | $95,500 |
| 76 | Coles County | 46,689 | $56,040 | $121,900 |
| 77 | Christian County | 33,684 | $59,253 | $112,100 |
| 78 | Richland County | 15,675 | $60,404 | $106,600 |
| 79 | Fayette County | 21,380 | $57,113 | $114,700 |
| 80 | Montgomery County | 28,078 | $61,863 | $102,200 |
| 81 | Jackson County | 52,706 | $45,572 | $125,000 |
| 82 | Perry County | 20,810 | $59,286 | $105,200 |
| 83 | Marion County | 37,294 | $60,839 | $100,100 |
| 84 | Fulton County | 33,259 | $58,617 | $102,500 |
| 85 | Greene County | 11,837 | $60,976 | $94,400 |
| 86 | Wayne County | 15,994 | $53,107 | $109,400 |
| 87 | Edwards County | 6,118 | $59,386 | $97,500 |
| 88 | Pike County | 14,625 | $58,029 | $100,100 |
| 89 | Wabash County | 11,199 | $53,650 | $103,900 |
| 90 | Knox County | 49,294 | $53,291 | $104,900 |
| 91 | Edgar County | 16,637 | $56,909 | $95,700 |
| 92 | Clay County | 13,173 | $57,266 | $94,300 |
| 93 | Mcdonough County | 27,102 | $50,434 | $103,500 |
| 94 | Hardin County | 3,623 | $57,155 | $91,700 |
| 95 | White County | 13,708 | $53,097 | $100,100 |
| 96 | Saline County | 23,387 | $54,945 | $92,900 |
| 97 | Lawrence County | 15,137 | $53,438 | $95,500 |
| 98 | Vermilion County | 73,179 | $54,537 | $92,900 |
| 99 | Gallatin County | 4,857 | $54,626 | $84,700 |
| 100 | Franklin County | 37,541 | $53,471 | $87,700 |