| 1 | Paducah, KY-IL Metro Area | Above average opportunities | 1.8 | 
| 2 | Champaign-Urbana, IL Metro Area | Above average opportunities | 1.6 | 
| 3 | Springfield, IL Metro Area | Above average opportunities | 1.59 | 
| 4 | Cape Girardeau, MO-IL Metro Area | Above average opportunities | 1.48 | 
| 5 | Peoria, IL Metro Area | Above average opportunities | 1.48 | 
| 6 | South Illinois Balance of State | Above average opportunities | 1.34 | 
| 7 | Decatur, IL Metro Area | Above average opportunities | 1.3 | 
| 8 | Kankakee, IL Metro Area | Average opportunities | 1.1 | 
| 9 | East Central Illinois Balance of State | Average opportunities | 1.01 | 
| 10 | Rockford, IL Metro Area | Average opportunities | 0.97 | 
| 11 | Bloomington, IL Metro Area | Average opportunities | 0.97 | 
| 12 | St. Louis, MO-IL Metro Area | Average opportunities | 0.94 | 
| 13 | Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL Metro Area | Average opportunities | 0.93 | 
| 14 | Illinois | Average opportunities | 0.85 | 
| 15 | West Central Illinois Balance of State | Average opportunities | 0.84 | 
| 16 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN Metro Area | Average opportunities | 0.82 | 
| 17 | Northwest Illinois Balance of State | Average opportunities | 0.73 |