The Town That Sucks the Most in Illinois is 4 Hours from Rockford

It's that time again, time to find out what study has discovered which Illinois towns suck more than others. And, where does Rockford come in on the list?

Worst Places to Live in Illinois

Where are the worst places to live in the state of Illinois? Every town in the state has the potential to be 'the absolute worst' place to live if you are prone to believing someone else's opinion.

Get our free mobile app

The 20 Worst Places to Live in Illinois

This is the study from Money Inc. Some actual data was used to compile this list, not opinions.

(Speaking of opinion, there are many that say Rockford is the worst)

I know you've heard that before. Guess what? We're not the worst, but Rockford is on this list.

This is what Money Inc had to say about Rockford:

Violent crimes are one of the biggest problems in Rockford, as it has the sixth-most violent crimes in Illinois. However, property crime is also an issue. Another significant issue is the lack of diversity in the job market.

Rockford landed at #16 on the list of 20.

This list used things like crime, school quality, job opportunities, and unemployment rates (among other things) to build the list.

Five of the list of 20 'bad' places to live in Illinois are just a short drive from Rockford.

Kankakee #4

Matteson #20

Hoopeston #6

Zion #9

Chicago #19

So, what town in Illinois is on top of this list of worst places to live?

Centreville

According to Money Inc's study, the southern Illinois town is the worst place to live in Illinois, for various reasons.

Many cities on this list struggle with a high crime rate, but that was not the biggest factor behind this southern Illinois town topping the 'worst places to live' list.

What makes life so difficult in Centerville is mostly economic issues.

From Money Inc:

45.6 percent of residents in Centreville are living in poverty, and it has the fourth-highest unemployment rate in the state. Those who are in work have some of the lowest salaries in Illinois.

Visit Money Inc to see the list in its entirety.