Everyone hates the lazy person in the office. The guy or gal who manages to offload all of their work to you, but somehow still takes the credit for it.
And if you live in one of these Illinois towns, you might look in the mirror and see that lazy person staring right back at you.
We’re not trying to be mean; it’s just that the lazy ethos can penetrate from the location into the workplace and no one wants to work with lazy people.
So we got to work late on a Friday night to figure out the places around Illinois that spend the day on Reddit and get by with the bare minimum. Using data from the latest American Community Survey, we identified criteria associated with laziness for each city.
After crunching all the numbers, here are the ten “Laziest Places in Illinois” based on data:
Centreville Rock Falls Harrisburg West Frankfort East St. Louis
Danville Watseka Centralia Streator Metropolis
Read on to see where the couch potatoes call home or skip to the end to find where your town ranked.
Oh, and by the way, Plainfield is the hardest-working place in IL.
How We Determined The Laziest Places In The Prairie State
Like all problems here at Zippia , we start with the data to answer the hard questions. Some might even consider us the hardest working data-crunchers this side of the Mississippi .
In this particular case, we went to the latest version of the American Community Survey looking for answers. As luck would have it, the Census Bureau just released the 2010-2014 5-Yr Estimate which would make this analysis the first of it’s kind with the new data.
After scrolling through what seemed like hundreds of criteria, we settled on this set for the laziest places in Illinois:
Lowest average hours worked
Shortest commute time
Fewest workers per household (Labor force divided by the number households)
Highest unemployment rate
Fewest adults with a college degree
Our thinking went something along the lines of if you can’t bother to go college, don’t spend any time at work, and have only one person per household bringing home the bacon, your town is probably pretty lazy.
After we got the data for the 340 places in Illinois over 5,000 people, we ranked each place from 1 to 340 for each of the criteria with 1 being the “laziest”.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each to create a lazy index.
Finally, we crowned the place with the lowest lazy index the “Laziest Place In Illinois”. And, at the end of the day, Centreville slacked off its way to the top.
Read the detailed chart below to learn a bit more about why each place ranked where it did.
1. Centreville
Population: 5,208 College Educated: 7.9%Unemployment Rate: 24.4%
2. Rock Falls
Population: 9,111College Educated: 10.0%Unemployment Rate: 16.6%
3. Harrisburg
Population: 8,989College Educated: 13.8%Unemployment Rate: 15.9%
4. West Frankfort
Population: 8,247College Educated: 8.4%Unemployment Rate: 13.9%
5. East St. Louis
Population: 26,697College Educated: 8.0%Unemployment Rate: 16.4%
6. Danville
Population: 32,483College Educated: 15.3%Unemployment Rate: 14.3%
7. Watseka
Population: 5,463College Educated: 12.4%Unemployment Rate: 14.0%
8. Centralia
Population: 12,880College Educated: 15.3%Unemployment Rate: 17.5%
9. Streator
Population: 13,152College Educated: 11.6%Unemployment Rate: 15.9%
10. Metropolis
Source: Wikipedia
Population: 6,466College Educated: 14.8%Unemployment Rate: 11.2%
Slacking Your Way Off To The Bottom
Like we said earlier, trying to determine the laziest places in Illinois is usually a subjective matter. But if you’re analyzing cities where people don’t work, where a good education is rare, and no one’s willing to put in the long hours, then this is an accurate list of laziness.
Detailed List Of The Laziest Places In Illinois
City
Rank
Population
College Educated
Unemployment Rate
Centreville 1
5,208
7.9%
24.4%
Rock Falls 2
9,111
10.0%
16.6%
Harrisburg 3
8,989
13.8%
15.9%
West Frankfort 4
8,247
8.4%
13.9%
East St. Louis
5
26,697
8.0%
16.4%
Danville 6
32,483
15.3%
14.3%
Watseka 7
5,463
12.4%
14.0%
Centralia 8
12,880
15.3%
17.5%
Streator 9
13,152
11.6%
15.9%
Metropolis 10
6,466
14.8%
11.2%
Kankakee 11
27,145
11.3%
15.5%
Robinson 12
7,264
17.0%
13.6%
Freeport 13
25,225
17.0%
15.2%
Mount Vernon 14
15,069
17.2%
13.4%
Cahokia 15
14,905
7.3%
15.9%
Sumner 16
5,556
2.3%
11.8%
Milan 17
5,122
13.7%
10.9%
Galesburg 18
31,898
16.4%
10.3%
Paris 19
8,702
17.0%
14.0%
Du Quoin 20
6,012
12.7%
14.0%
Mattoon 21
17,906
16.3%
12.0%
Clinton 22
6,931
13.7%
11.1%
Robbins 23
5,221
9.1%
20.8%
Fairfield 24
5,080
11.7%
8.0%
Benton 25
7,185
18.3%
13.0%
Wood River 26
10,477
14.7%
10.6%
Decatur 27
75,088
21.0%
13.9%
Alton 28
27,517
17.6%
14.6%
Beardstown 29
6,336
11.7%
16.2%
Granite City 30
29,764
13.3%
10.6%
Harvey 31
25,225
9.2%
25.6%
Pana 32
5,601
7.3%
6.3%
Pontiac 33
12,012
15.2%
8.0%
Chester 34
8,495
6.1%
7.3%
Peru 35
10,172
20.4%
12.1%
East Moline 36
21,294
17.3%
10.0%
Spring Valley 37
5,441
17.5%
13.1%
Flora 38
5,045
15.5%
8.2%
Rockford 39
151,290
21.0%
15.5%
Hoopeston 40
5,474
9.8%
15.5%
Murphysboro 41
8,189
21.3%
12.6%
Rochelle 42
9,492
19.5%
13.3%
Kewanee 43
12,694
14.0%
8.6%
Rantoul 44
13,214
14.9%
13.2%
Markham 45
12,625
14.2%
21.9%
Monmouth 46
9,565
18.9%
13.1%
Lincoln 47
14,382
18.9%
8.2%
Princeton 48
7,698
19.7%
8.7%
Mount Carmel 49
7,155
18.4%
9.9%
Hillsboro 50
8,371
9.6%
5.8%
Sterling 51
15,208
15.4%
9.1%
LaSalle 52
9,537
16.3%
11.0%
Pinckneyville 53
5,600
15.1%
12.9%
Litchfield 54
6,913
13.1%
5.4%
Olney 55
8,997
23.1%
8.0%
Greenville 56
6,860
23.1%
9.7%
Ottawa 57
18,992
18.3%
12.4%
Dixon 58
14,963
17.3%
8.7%
Chicago Heights 59
30,410
14.2%
18.5%
Jacksonville 60
19,315
22.2%
10.5%
Pekin 61
33,928
18.6%
8.3%
Mendota 62
7,161
13.5%
10.3%
Taylorville 63
11,761
14.8%
8.2%
Rock Island 64
38,888
21.9%
8.9%
Carmi 65
5,307
13.5%
6.9%
Chillicothe 66
6,181
18.6%
8.4%
Canton 67
14,650
17.7%
8.9%
Shelbyville 68
5,211
15.7%
5.4%
Steger 69
9,569
13.8%
13.0%
Bartonville 70
6,440
11.4%
8.5%
Salem 71
7,135
15.2%
6.2%
Broadview 72
7,956
18.0%
16.6%
Vandalia 73
6,247
17.1%
8.4%
Peoria 74
115,718
33.1%
10.7%
Herrin 75
12,721
24.4%
9.0%
Carlinville 76
5,615
23.2%
8.5%
East Alton 77
6,231
10.4%
7.6%
Quincy 78
40,782
22.0%
7.9%
Round Lake Park 79
7,758
11.9%
9.1%
Park City 80
7,551
10.3%
11.9%
Effingham 81
12,428
21.5%
7.0%
Macomb 82
19,193
44.8%
12.9%
Pontoon Beach 83
5,804
12.5%
10.9%
Springfield 84
116,815
34.9%
9.1%
Carbondale 85
26,374
46.0%
11.2%
Calumet City 86
37,197
15.8%
19.0%
Creve Coeur 87
5,717
7.1%
7.8%
Loves Park 88
24,435
21.8%
10.9%
Machesney Park 89
23,180
14.3%
11.5%
Peoria Heights 90
6,056
24.8%
8.7%
Silvis 91
7,525
16.8%
5.0%
Maywood 92
24,148
13.4%
18.5%
Jerseyville 93
8,305
13.5%
8.2%
Belvidere 94
25,713
12.2%
14.0%
East Peoria 95
23,225
19.9%
7.4%
Blue Island 96
23,453
15.2%
15.6%
Marion 97
17,353
26.0%
7.6%
Moline 98
43,087
25.5%
8.0%
Charleston 99
22,065
32.5%
11.9%
Braidwood 100
6,191
10.3%
13.5%
North Riverside 101
6,940
22.1%
9.8%
Eureka 102
5,638
32.0%
10.0%
North Chicago 103
30,760
19.4%
16.2%
Bethalto 104
9,443
21.4%
8.7%
Riverdale 105
13,278
13.8%
18.2%
Posen 106
5,934
8.4%
18.5%
Collinsville 107
25,282
26.7%
10.2%
Colona 108
5,057
8.8%
7.1%
Zion 109
24,292
15.9%
15.3%
Melrose Park 110
25,514
10.4%
11.4%
Bridgeview 111
16,550
14.4%
11.2%
Crestwood 112
11,006
22.6%
10.4%
Mascoutah 113
7,675
25.7%
10.3%
Sauk Village 114
10,545
11.3%
22.8%
Bradley 115
15,822
18.2%
8.1%
Lansing 116
28,486
19.3%
13.2%
Genoa 117
5,716
10.4%
14.1%
South Beloit 118
8,129
17.3%
9.2%
Calumet Park 119
8,189
15.1%
24.3%
Glenwood 120
9,040
26.0%
17.8%
Hillside 121
8,192
22.5%
10.6%
Summit 122
11,367
12.6%
13.9%
Wilmington 123
5,934
16.3%
10.5%
Coal City 124
5,460
18.6%
11.1%
Belleville 125
43,296
23.0%
7.0%
Marengo 126
7,451
17.2%
13.6%
University Park 127
6,852
23.6%
18.1%
Worth 128
10,827
13.5%
13.2%
Godfrey 129
17,911
27.0%
7.3%
Cicero 130
84,423
7.6%
13.6%
Crest Hill 131
20,444
16.7%
8.5%
DeKalb 132
44,092
35.0%
12.0%
Park Forest 133
22,490
27.2%
19.0%
Chicago Ridge 134
14,410
17.1%
11.3%
Midlothian 135
14,901
18.7%
13.9%
Alsip 136
19,385
15.2%
12.6%
Waukegan 137
88,671
18.7%
11.6%
Bellwood 138
19,149
14.7%
15.1%
Sandwich 139
7,513
15.2%
10.0%
Morris 140
13,929
24.1%
8.1%
Hazel Crest 141
14,102
22.5%
19.6%
Northlake 142
12,368
11.7%
8.0%
Fox Lake 143
10,757
19.1%
14.1%
Highwood 144
5,400
32.6%
9.3%
Stickney 145
6,810
9.1%
6.4%
Wood Dale 146
13,882
20.9%
8.7%
Addison 147
37,215
20.8%
11.7%
Champaign 148
82,848
50.3%
7.5%
Geneseo 149
6,500
25.8%
3.5%
Burbank 150
29,097
12.3%
10.8%
Franklin Park 151
18,389
15.9%
9.0%
Harwood Heights 152
8,656
25.3%
8.7%
Urbana 153
41,760
53.6%
7.5%
Justice 154
13,001
15.5%
12.6%
McHenry 155
26,803
24.8%
11.4%
Dolton 156
23,262
17.6%
24.1%
Harvard 157
9,829
8.9%
12.0%
Niles 158
29,939
28.5%
7.5%
Countryside 159
5,974
26.8%
7.0%
Bourbonnais 160
18,641
26.8%
7.9%
Schiller Park 161
11,842
20.3%
11.3%
Highland 162
9,738
25.9%
6.5%
Rolling Meadows 163
23,646
30.6%
9.2%
Berwyn 164
56,762
20.3%
12.7%
Forest Park 165
14,202
43.7%
11.6%
Westmont 166
25,236
42.8%
10.4%
Palos Hills 167
17,584
21.4%
8.9%
Oak Lawn 168
56,969
26.7%
11.8%
Winthrop Harbor 169
6,744
24.1%
10.0%
Plano 170
11,371
18.6%
11.1%
Woodstock 171
25,121
28.2%
10.8%
Rockton 172
7,461
29.4%
9.3%
O’Fallon
173
29,100
48.8%
9.0%
Bloomington 174
77,883
45.2%
6.6%
Lyons 175
10,667
16.7%
8.5%
Richton Park 176
13,718
32.1%
16.1%
Willowbrook 177
8,607
47.0%
8.6%
Oak Forest 178
28,104
25.5%
11.8%
Mount Zion 179
5,830
37.1%
6.8%
Lynwood 180
9,260
32.9%
17.3%
Hickory Hills 181
14,117
25.1%
11.6%
Manteno 182
9,585
28.4%
7.8%
Morton 183
16,493
43.6%
3.9%
Troy 184
9,931
22.7%
7.5%
Olympia Fields 185
5,022
49.7%
11.8%
Savoy 186
7,835
61.4%
3.3%
West Chicago 187
27,416
24.7%
9.7%
River Grove 188
10,268
19.6%
8.5%
Washington 189
15,525
38.2%
4.2%
Chicago 190
2,712,608
34.9%
13.2%
Carterville 191
5,635
36.1%
3.9%
Palos Heights 192
12,572
43.4%
9.9%
South Holland 193
22,123
28.2%
16.6%
Monticello 194
5,400
38.4%
5.5%
Fairview Heights 195
17,250
32.2%
5.7%
Berkeley 196
5,219
27.8%
10.3%
Norridge 197
14,713
21.7%
7.1%
Westchester 198
16,786
32.2%
7.5%
Joliet 199
147,786
23.4%
11.0%
Maryville 200
7,727
44.0%
8.1%
Country Club Hills 201
16,752
31.6%
17.5%
Columbia 202
9,889
34.3%
7.1%
Swansea 203
13,870
36.2%
6.2%
Elgin 204
110,906
24.0%
9.6%
Elmwood Park 205
24,960
26.0%
10.4%
Bensenville 206
18,457
17.5%
7.8%
Glendale Heights 207
34,436
29.0%
10.5%
Glen Ellyn 208
27,394
61.4%
9.1%
Prospect Heights 209
16,344
35.4%
6.4%
Auburn 210
5,004
20.1%
6.2%
Matteson 211
19,097
34.2%
15.0%
Darien 212
22,251
46.3%
8.4%
Evergreen Park 213
19,924
33.1%
11.4%
Beach Park 214
13,851
22.9%
8.4%
Lincolnshire 215
7,270
68.8%
6.8%
Round Lake Beach 216
28,048
15.3%
9.0%
Roscoe 217
10,724
28.4%
6.8%
Lombard 218
43,853
42.5%
8.0%
Villa Park 219
22,073
34.3%
9.1%
Crete 220
8,284
36.7%
8.4%
Carpentersville 221
38,128
20.9%
10.8%
Hanover Park 222
38,302
21.7%
9.6%
Morton Grove 223
23,424
43.7%
8.0%
Homewood 224
19,642
44.3%
10.4%
Warrenville 225
13,361
41.1%
9.6%
Sycamore 226
17,473
38.5%
7.7%
Aurora 227
199,878
31.2%
9.9%
Elk Grove Village 228
33,288
36.4%
6.2%
La Grange Park 229
13,624
48.3%
7.4%
Bloomingdale 230
22,208
36.7%
6.9%
Oak Brook 231
7,967
64.8%
4.2%
Island Lake 232
8,033
24.1%
9.4%
Normal 233
54,082
51.5%
5.6%
Chatham 234
12,131
44.2%
6.1%
Skokie 235
65,056
46.9%
9.2%
Des Plaines 236
58,802
35.2%
6.7%
Evanston 237
75,282
66.4%
8.2%
Glen Carbon 238
13,095
49.4%
6.1%
Mahomet 239
7,592
51.3%
3.6%
Huntley 240
25,200
35.0%
5.6%
North Aurora 241
16,927
38.9%
7.8%
Mundelein 242
31,498
41.3%
9.4%
Elburn 243
5,733
36.1%
12.2%
Waterloo 244
10,102
24.9%
4.2%
Winfield 245
9,368
50.4%
9.2%
Mount Prospect 246
54,589
38.0%
6.6%
Lisle 247
22,626
54.1%
7.2%
Wheeling 248
37,886
35.9%
6.7%
Batavia 249
25,905
50.9%
8.3%
Lake Forest 250
18,914
75.2%
6.2%
Brookfield 251
19,022
35.2%
6.7%
Gurnee 252
31,182
47.4%
7.9%
Arlington Heights 253
75,577
54.0%
6.6%
Carol Stream 254
40,136
37.7%
8.5%
Edwardsville 255
24,464
52.0%
5.0%
Orland Hills 256
7,252
30.4%
10.4%
Elmhurst 257
45,105
57.7%
7.3%
Roselle 258
22,951
37.1%
7.5%
Downers Grove 259
49,372
53.4%
6.9%
Palatine 260
69,015
48.5%
7.6%
Schaumburg 261
74,560
44.8%
6.6%
Highland Park 262
29,819
69.5%
6.3%
Lake Bluff 263
5,867
79.9%
5.7%
Willow Springs 264
5,692
38.9%
8.4%
Wheaton 265
53,406
61.1%
6.9%
Northfield 266
5,332
75.4%
3.7%
Lakemoor 267
6,576
22.7%
9.5%
Northbrook 268
33,396
68.9%
5.4%
Riverside 269
8,915
59.7%
7.8%
Oak Park 270
51,988
67.1%
8.1%
Romeoville 271
39,675
25.4%
8.8%
Poplar Grove 272
5,498
19.1%
5.4%
Geneva 273
21,662
56.4%
7.6%
Streamwood 274
40,746
31.2%
9.7%
Park Ridge 275
37,511
54.0%
5.5%
Shorewood 276
16,186
38.1%
8.6%
Itasca 277
8,579
39.0%
6.5%
Barrington 278
10,830
63.7%
7.8%
Lockport 279
25,063
33.3%
9.2%
Spring Grove 280
5,390
28.0%
8.7%
Orland Park 281
57,802
41.3%
7.4%
Glenview 282
45,400
61.1%
5.5%
Libertyville 283
20,398
64.7%
5.2%
Vernon Hills 284
25,535
59.6%
6.3%
Lincolnwood 285
12,653
55.2%
5.8%
Lake Villa 286
8,860
44.7%
8.2%
La Grange 287
15,675
59.8%
6.7%
Monee 288
5,133
26.3%
6.1%
Channahon 289
12,422
24.2%
6.5%
Woodridge 290
33,227
47.3%
8.3%
Minooka 291
11,225
28.0%
8.1%
Lemont 292
16,376
39.6%
8.1%
Clarendon Hills 293
8,548
73.3%
3.4%
Lindenhurst 294
14,412
47.1%
9.1%
Wauconda 295
13,189
35.2%
7.3%
Inverness 296
7,516
65.1%
7.4%
Bolingbrook 297
74,112
34.5%
8.4%
Shiloh 298
12,706
41.3%
5.7%
Montgomery 299
18,780
28.7%
7.6%
Deerfield 300
18,476
75.2%
5.8%
Lake in the Hills 301
28,926
31.3%
8.8%
Burr Ridge 302
10,678
68.5%
5.2%
Tinley Park 303
57,099
34.9%
6.7%
Hinsdale 304
16,898
77.2%
6.1%
Johnsburg 305
6,322
32.0%
8.2%
Flossmoor 306
9,339
62.3%
7.8%
Crystal Lake 307
40,598
40.4%
7.1%
West Dundee 308
7,367
48.0%
5.6%
Algonquin 309
30,189
44.4%
10.0%
Antioch 310
14,395
32.5%
7.1%
Buffalo Grove 311
41,613
63.7%
6.6%
St. Charles
312
33,422
48.8%
4.1%
Yorkville 313
17,980
33.0%
6.1%
Manhattan 314
7,017
34.5%
7.2%
River Forest 315
11,211
72.3%
4.1%
Homer Glen 316
24,322
35.4%
6.9%
Hoffman Estates 317
52,271
45.9%
6.6%
Wilmette 318
27,345
81.1%
4.3%
Mokena 319
18,804
37.8%
7.1%
Frankfort 320
18,100
53.9%
7.0%
South Elgin 321
22,126
35.0%
5.6%
Hawthorn Woods 322
7,727
63.8%
7.6%
Winnetka 323
12,366
87.4%
4.8%
Western Springs 324
13,066
76.8%
5.3%
Glencoe 325
8,824
85.3%
3.5%
Lake Zurich 326
19,849
53.9%
6.9%
Bartlett 327
41,529
43.7%
7.0%
Pingree Grove 328
5,062
31.6%
7.6%
Grayslake 329
20,863
50.8%
5.0%
Cary 330
18,115
47.1%
8.0%
Naperville 331
144,108
66.1%
6.6%
New Lenox 332
24,747
39.1%
5.8%
Hampshire 333
6,053
25.4%
2.4%
Oswego 334
31,723
44.1%
5.4%
Campton Hills 335
10,908
53.6%
5.8%
Sugar Grove 336
9,096
38.0%
5.6%
Round Lake 337
18,399
37.2%
5.7%
Long Grove 338
8,017
66.4%
7.2%
Gilberts 339
7,256
42.3%
4.6%
Plainfield 340
40,641
48.8%
5.7%
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