Illinois
State Government
Governor
J.B. Pritzker (D)
State Senate
40
Democrats,
19
Republicans
State House
78
Democrats,
40
Republicans
Economic well-being - Illinois
Extreme poverty rate
0.1
Food insecurity
0.1
Minimum wage
15.0
Percent of working families under 200% of the poverty line
0.3
Poverty rate
11.6%
Unemployment rate
4.4
Number of Black or African American children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment
Number of Hispanic or Latino children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment
Percent of individuals who are uninsured
6.9
Poverty by demographic - Illinois
Child poverty rate
0.1
Number of Asian and Pacific Islander children below 200% poverty
28000
Number of Black or African American children below 200% poverty
204000
Number of Hispanic or Latino children below 200% poverty
312000
Senior poverty rate
10.6 %
Women in poverty
6,308,481
Education Week, June 30, 2015: (Blog) Marva Collins, Famed Chicago Educator, Stressed Potential of Low-Income Students
"Marva Collins, a legendary educator known for fostering expectations of excellence for children raised in the poor neighborhoods of Chicago, died last week at age 78. But her legacy lives on, both in the children and the teachers whose lives she touched while she was the founderand heart and soulof Westside Preparatory Academy."
Chicago Daily Herald, June 22, 2015: Lower income equals lower test scores in our schools
"A new analysis of a decade of state testing data by the Daily Herald and WBEZ reveals that a school's low-income level is a frustratingly accurate predictor of achievement. The results are clear. Schools with the fewest low-income students score the highest on average."
The Chicago Tribune, June 3, 2015: America Needs You guides low-income students, diversifies workforce
"That's the idea behind America Needs You, a program for low-income, high-achieving, first-generation college students that aims to increase graduation rates in underserved communities. The program started in New York in 2009, expanded to New Jersey in 2012 and added Illinois this year."
The Daily Northwestern, March 31, 2015: Low-income child care vulnerable after no new revenue used to fix 2015 state deficit
"Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a bill Thursday to fix the 2015 funding deficit, which had disproportionally hurt low-income child care centers. The new law allocates $293 million for early childhood education by taking funding from other services and by cutting government functions 2.25 percent across the board. However, critics say child care centers for low-income families will still face instability until new methods of revenue are proposed."
The Chicago Tribune, February 22, 2015: Affordable housing options for low-income seniors
"Most federal housing subsidies go to renters with average incomes of about $11,000 a year, but even those have become very difficult to find because production of low-income senior housing has dropped dramatically in the last few years, said Alayna Waldrum, housing legislative representative for LeadingAge, an association of not-for-profit aging service providers."
Reboot Illinois, November 28, 2014: Illinois school report: backsliding Pre-K, low-income students falling behind; but fix is politically explosive
"The Advance Illinois school report "The State We're In" has some good news for Illinois school, including gains in high school graduation rates in Chicago. But the report overall is not cause for optimism about the state of Illinois' elementary and high schools and the preparedness of Illinois students for the job market that awaits them after graduation. Of particular concern is the academic performance of low-income students, whose reading and math proficiency are alarmingly low."