No economy has generated as much wealth for as many people as that of the United States. According to the 2023 Global Wealth Report from the Swiss investment bank UBS, most adults worldwide have less than $10,000 in total wealth. Meanwhile, the typical American adult is worth nearly $108,000. The same report found that the U.S. is home to 38% of the world’s millionaires, many times more than any other country — and incomes in the U.S. are currently rising at a historic pace.
The latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey shows that the typical American household earned nearly $75,000 in 2022, up from about $69,700 in 2021. The 7.2% increase was the largest recorded year-over-year since at least the mid-1990s.
In Illinois, a state home to 33 Fortune 500 companies, the typical household earns $78,433 annually. And in some parts of the state, household incomes exceed that amount by tens of thousands of dollars.
Using five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey, 24/7 Wall St. identified the 13 richest counties in Illinois. Counties in the state are ranked on median household income. Supplemental data on population, unemployment, and median home values are also five-year estimates from the 2022 ACS.
Among the counties on this list, median household incomes are anywhere from about $1,700 to $28,600 higher than what the typical Illinois household earns. In many of these counties, high incomes are underpinned by a strong job market. According to the ACS, the five-year average jobless rate in all but one of Illinois’s richest counties is below the 5.9% statewide average.
Home values are often a reflection of what residents can afford, and high incomes in these counties are often evidenced by the local real estate markets. In a majority of counties on this list, the typical home is worth more than the $239,100 median home value across the state.
These are the richest counties in Illinois.
13. Woodford County
- Median household income: $80,093
- Median home value: $186,100
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 3.3%
- Population: 38,414
12. Boone County
- Median household income: $80,502
- Median home value: $181,700
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 7.7%
- Population: 53,459
11. Piatt County
- Median household income: $81,151
- Median home value: $168,300
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.6%
- Population: 16,698
10. Menard County
- Median household income: $84,846
- Median home value: $177,100
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.9%
- Population: 12,284
9. Calhoun County
- Median household income: $88,059
- Median home value: $160,900
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.1%
- Population: 4,472
8. Grundy County
- Median household income: $89,993
- Median home value: $245,400
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.2%
- Population: 52,624
7. Kane County
- Median household income: $96,400
- Median home value: $290,100
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.0%
- Population: 517,254
6. McHenry County
- Median household income: $100,101
- Median home value: $270,600
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.9%
- Population: 311,133
5. Monroe County
- Median household income: $100,685
- Median home value: $254,100
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 1.7%
- Population: 34,905
4. Will County
- Median household income: $103,678
- Median home value: $283,600
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 5.0%
- Population: 696,774
3. Lake County
- Median household income: $104,553
- Median home value: $313,700
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.9%
- Population: 713,159
2. Kendall County
- Median household income: $106,358
- Median home value: $288,100
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.3%
- Population: 132,795
1. DuPage County
- Median household income: $107,035
- Median home value: $361,700
- 5-yr. avg. unemployment rate: 4.7%
- Population: 930,559
| Rank | County | Median household income ($) | Median home value ($) | Unemployment rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DuPage, Illinois | 107,035 | 361,700 | 4.7 |
| 2 | Kendall, Illinois | 106,358 | 288,100 | 4.3 |
| 3 | Lake, Illinois | 104,553 | 313,700 | 4.9 |
| 4 | Will, Illinois | 103,678 | 283,600 | 5.0 |
| 5 | Monroe, Illinois | 100,685 | 254,100 | 1.7 |
| 6 | McHenry, Illinois | 100,101 | 270,600 | 4.9 |
| 7 | Kane, Illinois | 96,400 | 290,100 | 5.0 |
| 8 | Grundy, Illinois | 89,993 | 245,400 | 4.2 |
| 9 | Calhoun, Illinois | 88,059 | 160,900 | 4.1 |
| 10 | Menard, Illinois | 84,846 | 177,100 | 4.9 |
| 11 | Piatt, Illinois | 81,151 | 168,300 | 4.6 |
| 12 | Boone, Illinois | 80,502 | 181,700 | 7.7 |
| 13 | Woodford, Illinois | 80,093 | 186,100 | 3.3 |
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