Lincoln County, Colorado

County Distress Index: Normal · 49.8 | 5,480 people · 20th most distressed in Colorado
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Lincoln County, CO falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 49.8 — 1606th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Colorado, it ranks 20th of 64 counties. Among its 9 neighboring counties, 7 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Lincoln County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 66.1 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 66.1
Poverty Rate 60
Income vs. State Median 92
Child Poverty Rate 47
Housing Cost Burden 65.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 56
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 63
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 95
Homeownership Rate 66
Rent-to-Income Ratio 49
Community Vulnerability 53.5
Uninsured Rate 48
Disability Rate 59
Employment & Wages 39.8
Unemployment Rate 72
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 34
Business Formation Rate 14
Debt & Delinquency 23.8
Debt in Collections 39
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 39
Auto Loan Delinquency 5
Credit Card Delinquency 32
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 21

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Lincoln County compares to its 9 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Lincoln County
Lincoln County, CO 49.8 Normal —
Crowley County, CO 65.0 Serious +15.2
Pueblo County, CO 62.1 Elevated +12.3
Kit Carson County, CO 48.1 Normal -1.7
Arapahoe County, CO 44.6 Normal -5.2
El Paso County, CO 42.2 Normal -7.6
Washington County, CO 42.0 Normal -7.9
Kiowa County, CO 39.4 Normal -10.4
Cheyenne County, CO 35.0 Normal -14.8
Elbert County, CO 23.4 Healthy -26.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Lincoln County
Hemphill County, TX 49.9 Normal +0.0
Calhoun County, AR 49.8 Normal -0.0
Van Buren County, IA 49.7 Normal -0.1
Cumberland County, VA 50.0 Normal +0.1
Hot Springs County, WY 49.7 Normal -0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Lincoln County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Lincoln County

Find an Attorney

Colorado Bar Association — Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Colorado Bar Association — Lawyer Referral Service 303-831-8000

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Lincoln County residents at no cost.

Colorado Legal Services 303-837-1313 (Denver); 1-866-529-6257 (statewide)
Colorado Volunteer Lawyer Resource (CVLR) 303-722-0300
Colorado Bar Association — Lawyer Referral Service 303-831-8000 (Denver); 1-800-332-6736 (statewide)

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Lincoln County, Colorado?

    Lincoln County has a County Distress Index score of 49.8 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,606th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 20th in Colorado out of 64 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Lincoln County?

    The primary driver of distress in Lincoln County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 66.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Lincoln County compare to neighboring counties?

    Lincoln County (49.8) can be compared to its 9 neighboring counties: Crowley County, CO (65.0); Pueblo County, CO (62.1); Kit Carson County, CO (48.1).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Lincoln County?

    Lincoln County, Colorado has a population of approximately 5,480 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.