The means test in Illinois: median income

Check your income against the Illinois median, and see what the second step and Chapter 13 involve.

Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.

Short answer

The U.S. Trustee Program publishes these medians for Illinois. Income below the median for your household size passes the first step.

1 person
$73,180
2 people
$93,934
3 people
$113,625
4 people
$137,902
Each extra person
+$11,100
Medians apply to cases filed on or after
April 1, 2026

Check the first step in Illinois

Official Form 122A-1 compares your household's yearly income with the median income in Illinois. Here are the official medians:

  • 1 person$73,180
  • 2 people$93,934
  • 3 people$113,625
  • 4 people$137,902
  • Each extra person+$11,100

Applies to cases filed on or after April 1, 2026. 1 = one earner; 2, 3, 4 = people in the household; add = amount added for each person over 4

The numbers are worked out in your browser. Nothing you enter here is saved or sent.

Before taxes. Add up all income for the last 6 months and divide by 6.

Enter your household size and income

The bankruptcy courts in Illinois

You file in the federal district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. Illinois has three districts. Your county decides the district and division: Northern District county list at https://www.ilnb.uscourts.gov/court-information2; Central District county lists on each office page (https://www.ilcb.uscourts.gov/court-info/court-locations/peoria, https://www.ilcb.uscourts.gov/court-info/court-locations/springfield, https://www.ilcb.uscourts.gov/content/urbana) and the map at https://www.ilcb.uscourts.gov/sites/ilcb/files/ILCB%20Counties%20-%20URBANA.pdf; Southern District map at https://www.ilsb.uscourts.gov/southern-district-illinois-case-assignment-map.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1408

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois

Divisions: Eastern Division (Chicago): Cook, DuPage, Lake, Kane, Will, Grundy, LaSalle, Kendall counties; Western Division (Rockford): Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, JoDaviess, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside, Winnebago counties

Clerk's phone: (312) 408-5000 (Chicago); (815) 987-4350 (Rockford)

Court's self-help page

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of Illinois

Divisions: Peoria (Bureau, Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Knox, Marshall, McDonough, Mercer, Peoria, Putnam, Rock Island, Stark, Tazewell, Warren, Woodford); Springfield (Adams, Brown, Cass, Christian, DeWitt, Greene, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Mason, McLean, Menard, Montgomery, Morgan, Pike, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby); Urbana (Champaign, Coles, Douglas, Edgar, Ford, Iroquois, Kankakee, Livingston, Moultrie, Piatt, Vermilion)

Clerk's phone: (309) 671-7035 (Peoria); (217) 492-4551 (Springfield); (217) 974-7330 (Urbana)

Court's self-help page

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Illinois

Divisions: East St. Louis, Benton

Clerk's phone: (618) 482-9400 (East St. Louis); (618) 435-2200 (Benton)

Court's self-help page

Exemptions in Illinois at a glance

In Illinois you use state exemptions only (exemptions are the property the law lets you keep).

Home (homestead): $50,000 per person in a home you own or lease and live in (house and land, condominium, mobile home or co-op).

Car or other vehicle: $3,600 of your equity in one motor vehicle (per person)

Wildcard (any property): $4,000 of your equity in any other property (per person). Outside bankruptcy, $1,000 of this is an automatic exemption for bank accounts.

Exemptions in Illinois

In nearby states

  • Indiana: 1 person $64,461 · 2 people $81,986 · 3 people $95,627 · 4 people $115,656
  • Missouri: 1 person $64,972 · 2 people $82,075 · 3 people $100,228 · 4 people $118,530
  • Iowa: 1 person $67,617 · 2 people $88,800 · 3 people $104,133 · 4 people $126,058
  • Kentucky: 1 person $61,652 · 2 people $73,892 · 3 people $85,212 · 4 people $109,443
  • Wisconsin: 1 person $71,168 · 2 people $90,252 · 3 people $108,516 · 4 people $133,384
  • Tennessee: 1 person $63,979 · 2 people $82,846 · 3 people $97,511 · 4 people $109,585

Steps for the means test in Illinois

  1. Gather your income

    Add every source of household income for the last 6 months.

  2. Fill in the first form

    The official first step is Official Form 122A-1.

  3. When income is higher

    Next comes the expense calculation on Official Form 122A-2.

  4. Where the forms go

    Your court: Northern District, Central District and Southern District.

Where to get free help in Illinois

Questions about the means test in Illinois

Can I keep my house in bankruptcy in Illinois?

$50,000 per person in a home you own or lease and live in (house and land, condominium, mobile home or co-op). If 2 or more people own the home, each person's exemption is their ownership share of $100,000.

How do I find my bankruptcy court in Illinois?

You file in the federal district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the last 180 days. Illinois has three districts. Your county decides the district and division: Northern District county list at https://www.ilnb.uscourts.gov/court-information2; Central District county lists on each office page (https://www.ilcb.uscourts.gov/court-info/court-locations/peoria, https://www.ilcb.uscourts.gov/court-info/court-locations/springfield, https://www.ilcb.uscourts.gov/content/urbana) and the map at https://www.ilcb.uscourts.gov/sites/ilcb/files/ILCB%20Counties%20-%20URBANA.pdf; Southern District map at https://www.ilsb.uscourts.gov/southern-district-illinois-case-assignment-map.

What income passes the means test in Illinois?

For cases filed on or after April 1, 2026: 1 person: $73,180; 2 people: $93,934; 3 people: $113,625; 4 people: $137,902; Each extra person: +$11,100.

Who helps with bankruptcy for free in Illinois?

Chicago Bankruptcy Pro Se Help Desk (U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Chicago Bar Association and Legal Aid Chicago), Legal Aid Chicago and Prairie State Legal Services (bankruptcy legal advice line for northern and western Illinois).

Related Illinois pages