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
Chicago Tribune, April 24, 2012: Will smart grid save?; Report says education is key, as most customers in the dark
"Today, the utility sends out trucks to turn off service, a face-to-face contact that can prevent power from being switched off at homes of those who require electricity for life-saving medical devices. About 25 percent of low-income households use electrically powered medical devices, the study found."
Chicago Tribune, April 20, 2012: $51M school is playground-poor; Students, parents upset over Ogden's rooftop recess 'cage'
"Upset with the situation, some students and parents are planning a protest Friday at Bughouse Square, officially known as Washington Square Park, diagonally across the street from Ogden. The park, crisscrossed with walkways and dotted with benches where homeless people linger, is the closest thing to green space of the sort that stretches invitingly around most suburban schools."
Belleville News-Democrat, April 14, 2012: Hard times for area students as more families slip below the poverty line
"The nationwide recession dramatically increased the percentage of metro-east students whose families live at or below the poverty level. Of 45 school districts in St. Clair, Madison, Clinton and Monroe counties, only six of them had more than half their student population rank below the poverty level a decade ago. "
Chicago Tribune, March 16, 2012: In Evanston, to bus or not to bus?; Debate over new neighborhood school divides community
"Supporters envision a community hub that would instill a sense of ownership, where students could walk to class and parents would become more involved. But an estimated 87 percent of students would be low-income, a concentration that alarms opponents who find little evidence that such a school would improve or even sustain academic achievement levels."
Chicago Tribune, February 22, 2012: Race in college entry revisited; Supreme Court will take up universities' affirmative action
"Some argue that the top universities should pick up on Obama's theme and give an edge to high school students who come from low-income families, regardless of race or ethnic heritage. 'These campuses pride themselves on being liberal and racially diverse, but there are huge class inequalities,' said Richard Kahlenberg, a scholar at The Century Foundation in Washington."
The Associated Press, February 21, 2012: Chicago charter schools criticized for fining students
"Critics say Noble is nickel-and-diming its mostly low-income students over insignificant, made-up infractions that force out students administrators don't want. `We think this just goes over the line...' said Julie Woestehoff, executive director of the Chicago advocacy group Parents United for Responsible Education..."