Best Counties for Remote Workers in Illinois 2026

100 counties ranked by cost of living, income, safety, and disaster resilience.

Top 5 Remote Work Counties in Illinois

1Calhoun County

All 100 Remote-Work-Ranked Counties in Illinois

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best county for remote workers in Illinois?

Based on our analysis of cost of living, income, safety, and disaster risk, Calhoun County ranks as the top remote work county in Illinois with a remote worker score of 84.

How many counties in Illinois are ranked for remote workers?

We rank 100 counties in Illinois for remote work suitability, scoring each on cost of living (30%), income (30%), safety (25%), and disaster risk (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.