Cook County, Illinois

County Distress Index: Elevated · 57.7 | 5,087,072 people · 10th most distressed in Illinois
American Default Research

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Cook County is supposed to be the affordable alternative. Compared to LA or New York, Chicago's housing costs look almost reasonable on a national comparison. The county's Income & Poverty domain scores just 36.4, meaning household income holds up better than roughly two-thirds of American counties. And then the Housing Cost Burden number arrives: 86.8. Owner cost burden hits the 90th percentile. The part that gets overlooked is the debt layer underneath. Bankruptcy filings register at the 90th percentile nationally. Auto loan delinquency is at the 74.9th percentile. Student loan delinquency sits above the median. Cook County's distress signature isn't a single crisis point. It's a county where housing costs squeeze harder than the affordability reputation suggests, and the debt that builds up behind that squeeze shows up in the filing numbers. The overall score of 50.8 puts Cook just inside the Elevated zone. It ranks 28th among Illinois's 102 counties, which means 27 counties in the state are scoring worse. The county's 5.1 million residents live in a distress profile that looks manageable from the income side and much less so from the housing and debt side. That gap is what the blended number hides.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Cook County's primary driver is Legal Distress at 90.0 — worse than roughly 90% of U.S. counties.

Legal Distress Primary driver 90.0
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 90
Housing Cost Burden 84.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 80
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 82
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 90
Homeownership Rate 95
Consumer Credit Distress 49.9
Debt in Collections 42
Medical Debt 7
Auto Loan Delinquency 75
Credit Card Delinquency 56
Uninsured Rate 58
Subprime Credit Population 57
Economic Vitality 49.3
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 47
Rent-to-Income Ratio 87
Business Formation Rate 7
House Price Change (YoY) 29
Structural Poverty 30.2
Unemployment Rate 74
Poverty Rate 47
Income vs. State Median 15
Child Poverty Rate 47
Disability Rate 11
Transfer Income Dependency 11

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Cook County
Cook County, IL 57.7 Elevated —
Lake County, IN 67.2 Serious +9.5
Berrien County, MI 50.9 Elevated -6.8
Porter County, IN 47.3 Normal -10.4
Will County, IL 44.7 Normal -13.0
Kane County, IL 44.5 Normal -13.2
McHenry County, IL 37.1 Normal -20.5
Lake County, IL 36.1 Normal -21.6
DuPage County, IL 31.5 Healthy -26.1

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Cook County
Mecklenburg County, NC 57.6 Elevated -0.1
Los Angeles County, CA 58.3 Elevated +0.6
Kings County, NY 58.6 Elevated +1.0
Denton County, TX 56.5 Elevated -1.2
Palm Beach County, FL 59.5 Elevated +1.8

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Cook County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Cook County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Cook County.

ACCESS LIVING OF METROPOLITAN CHICAGO
Chicago
312-640-2100
Rental Help
AGORA COMMUNITY SERVICES CORPORATION, NFP
Chicago
773-483-3888 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling
BRIGHTON PARK NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL
Chicago
773-523-7110 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingPost-PurchasePre-Purchase
CEDA - CHICAGO HEIGHTS
CHICAGO HEIGHTS
312-288-8010 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling
CEDA - HARVEY
HARVEY
312-288-8010 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling

See all counselors in Illinois →

Find an Attorney

Illinois State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Illinois State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-922-8757

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Cook County residents at no cost.

Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO)
Legal Aid Chicago (formerly LAF) 312-341-1070
Land of Lincoln Legal Aid 217-525-7151
Prairie State Legal Services 1-800-531-7057
Illinois State Bar Association Lawyer Referral 1-800-922-8757

Self-Help Resources

Illinois Legal Aid Online — Foreclosure Comprehensive self-help guides for Illinois foreclosure
IHDA Homeowner Resources Assistance programs and housing counselor referrals

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Illinois →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Cook County, Illinois?

    Cook County has a County Distress Index score of 57.7 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,103rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 10th in Illinois out of 102 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Cook County?

    The primary driver of distress in Cook County is Legal Distress, where the county scores 90.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Bankruptcy Filing Rate.

  • How does Cook County compare to neighboring counties?

    Cook County (57.7) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Lake County, IN (67.2); Berrien County, MI (50.9); Porter County, IN (47.3).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses PCA-weighted percentile scoring across five statistically derived factors: Consumer Credit Distress (47.5%), Housing Cost Burden (22.3%), Structural Poverty (13.6%), Economic Vitality (9.2%), and Legal Distress (7.4%). Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • How often is the CDI updated?

    Annually, aligned to Census American Community Survey and Urban Institute Debt in America release windows — the slowest-moving source inputs. Between annual refreshes, faster-cadence indicators (BLS unemployment, QCEW wages) may drive light mid-year updates if a specific component moves meaningfully. Current data compiled April 14, 2026; next full refresh early 2027.

  • What does the Elevated zone mean?

    The CDI divides counties into five zones: Healthy (below 46), Normal (46–55), Elevated (55–71), Serious (71–86), and Crisis (86 and above). Cook County's score of 57.7 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

  • What data sources power Cook County's CDI score?

    Cook County's CDI score draws on Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax credit-bureau panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS, QCEW), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Every number on this page traces to one of these public sources.

  • What is the population of Cook County?

    Cook County, Illinois has a population of approximately 5,087,072 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a metro county.