Best Counties for Families in Illinois 2026

100 counties ranked by schools, safety, income, and affordability.

Top 5 Family Counties in Illinois

1Johnson County

All 100 Family-Ranked Counties in Illinois

Rank	County	Persona Score	Overall Score
1	Johnson County, IL	83	67.7
2	Brown County, IL	83	69.5
3	Hardin County, IL	80	70.7
4	Woodford County, IL	79	58.8
5	Hamilton County, IL	79	68.6
6	Washington County, IL	78	63.7
7	Scott County, IL	78	68
8	Douglas County, IL	78	55.6
9	Gallatin County, IL	77	67.6
10	DuPage County, IL	77	54
11	Jo Daviess County, IL	76	60.8
12	Mercer County, IL	76	63.1
13	Edwards County, IL	75	66.7
14	McHenry County, IL	74	52.3
15	Moultrie County, IL	74	58.4
16	Carroll County, IL	73	60.6
17	Monroe County, IL	73	58.5
18	Shelby County, IL	72	60.9
19	Schuyler County, IL	72	58.3
20	Perry County, IL	72	59.8
21	Greene County, IL	72	60.2
22	Calhoun County, IL	72	63
23	Stark County, IL	72	61.1
24	Will County, IL	71	50.3
25	White County, IL	71	62.5
26	Randolph County, IL	71	58.7
27	Cumberland County, IL	71	62
28	Livingston County, IL	70	51.6
29	Putnam County, IL	70	59.3
30	Menard County, IL	70	59.2
31	Coles County, IL	69	57.4
32	Alexander County, IL	69	62.2
33	Lake County, IL	69	47.2
34	Piatt County, IL	68	54.9
35	Edgar County, IL	68	59.8
36	Kankakee County, IL	68	48
37	Pope County, IL	68	67.4
38	Jasper County, IL	68	59.7
39	Bond County, IL	67	55.2
40	Kane County, IL	67	47.1
41	Cass County, IL	67	57.4
42	Henderson County, IL	66	61.7
43	Clark County, IL	66	55.5
44	Clinton County, IL	65	52
45	Macoupin County, IL	65	52.5
46	Marshall County, IL	65	54.9
47	McLean County, IL	65	48.1
48	Fulton County, IL	64	53.9
49	Iroquois County, IL	64	50.3
50	Saline County, IL	64	56.8
51	Knox County, IL	64	56
52	Hancock County, IL	63	58.6
53	Franklin County, IL	63	55.9
54	Union County, IL	63	57.4
55	Ford County, IL	63	53.8
56	Christian County, IL	63	55.3
57	Adams County, IL	63	54.7
58	McDonough County, IL	63	56.3
59	Pulaski County, IL	63	62.9
60	Lee County, IL	62	51.7
61	Jersey County, IL	61	53.4
62	Grundy County, IL	60	44.8
63	Warren County, IL	60	52.4
64	Jefferson County, IL	60	51.7
65	Mason County, IL	60	52.8
66	Henry County, IL	60	50.3
67	Pike County, IL	59	55.6
68	Williamson County, IL	59	49.9
69	Logan County, IL	59	51.6
70	Boone County, IL	59	43.7
71	Crawford County, IL	56	52.5
72	Bureau County, IL	56	45.7
73	Richland County, IL	56	51.4
74	Fayette County, IL	56	53.8
75	Winnebago County, IL	55	42.4
76	Lawrence County, IL	55	55.7
77	Effingham County, IL	54	49.7
78	St. Clair County, IL	54	41.3
79	Wayne County, IL	53	52.6
80	Whiteside County, IL	53	46.2
81	Clay County, IL	53	55.8
82	Wabash County, IL	53	55.3
83	Kendall County, IL	52	38.6
84	Tazewell County, IL	52	42.5
85	Montgomery County, IL	51	45.9
86	Ogle County, IL	51	38.7
87	Marion County, IL	51	46.7
88	Stephenson County, IL	49	45.6
89	Massac County, IL	47	43.2
90	Morgan County, IL	46	43.1
91	DeKalb County, IL	46	37
92	Madison County, IL	45	38.1
93	Rock Island County, IL	43	36.7
94	Cook County, IL	42	30.3
95	Sangamon County, IL	38	33.4
96	Champaign County, IL	37	34.4
97	Jackson County, IL	37	36
98	Macon County, IL	34	34.6
99	Peoria County, IL	34	31
100	Vermilion County, IL	33	35.5

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best county for families in Illinois?

Based on our analysis of school quality, safety, income, and cost of living, Johnson County ranks as the top family county in Illinois with a family score of 83.

How many counties in Illinois are ranked for families?

We rank 100 counties in Illinois for family suitability, scoring each on school quality (35%), safety (30%), income (20%), and cost of living (15%).

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Data: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, FBI UCR, CDC, FEMA NRI, NCES, EPA SDWIS, 2019-2023 ACS — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.