Iowa County Distress Index
Financial distress scores for all 99 counties in Iowa, scored 0–100 across five domains. Mean score: 26.5.
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-26
Iowa Snapshot
99 Counties Scored
26.5 Mean Score
24.9 Median Score
57.6 Wapello County Most Distressed
7.3 Lyon County Least Distressed
2 moderate county distress11 moderate-low county distress21 low-moderate county distress34 low county distress28 very low county distress3 exceptionally low county distress
Score Label Distribution Iowa County Map
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Low county distress Moderate-low county distress Moderate county distress High county distress Extreme county distress
All 99 Iowa counties colored by county distress score range. Hover for details; click released counties for full reports.
Most & Least Distressed
Most Distressed
Least Distressed
Score Distribution
How Iowa's 99 county scores are distributed across the 0–100 scale.
All Iowa Counties
99 counties ranked by distress score. Click column headers to sort.
| State Rank | Nat'l Rank | County | Score | Score Label | Primary Driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1,175 | Wapello County | 57.6 | moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 2 | 1,338 | Des Moines County | 54.6 | moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 3 | 1,721 | Lucas County | 47.7 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 4 | 1,738 | Black Hawk County | 47.4 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 5 | 1,885 | Appanoose County | 44.9 | moderate-low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 6 | 1,967 | Pottawattamie County | 43.5 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 7 | 1,999 | Clinton County | 42.8 | moderate-low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 8 | 2,016 | Woodbury County | 42.5 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 9 | 2,062 | Marshall County | 41.5 | moderate-low county distress | Labor |
| 10 | 2,083 | Greene County | 41.1 | moderate-low county distress | Delinquency |
| 11 | 2,086 | Jefferson County | 41.1 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 12 | 2,091 | Montgomery County | 41.0 | moderate-low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 13 | 2,142 | Lee County | 40.0 | moderate-low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 14 | 2,208 | Crawford County | 38.9 | low-moderate county distress | Labor |
| 15 | 2,214 | Scott County | 38.8 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 16 | 2,279 | Webster County | 37.4 | low-moderate county distress | Delinquency |
| 17 | 2,306 | Muscatine County | 36.8 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 18 | 2,312 | Polk County | 36.6 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 19 | 2,359 | Cass County | 35.7 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 20 | 2,362 | Decatur County | 35.7 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 21 | 2,377 | Van Buren County | 35.4 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 22 | 2,391 | Tama County | 35.0 | low-moderate county distress | Labor |
| 23 | 2,437 | Monona County | 34.2 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 24 | 2,447 | Emmet County | 34.0 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 25 | 2,499 | Union County | 32.8 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 26 | 2,504 | Harrison County | 32.7 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 27 | 2,516 | Keokuk County | 32.5 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 28 | 2,529 | Monroe County | 32.2 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 29 | 2,548 | Henry County | 31.6 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 30 | 2,561 | Page County | 31.4 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 31 | 2,585 | Fayette County | 30.9 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 32 | 2,587 | Poweshiek County | 30.9 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 33 | 2,594 | Linn County | 30.6 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 34 | 2,595 | Jasper County | 30.6 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 35 | 2,648 | Wayne County | 29.2 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 36 | 2,655 | Audubon County | 29.0 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 37 | 2,663 | Clarke County | 28.8 | low county distress | Delinquency |
| 38 | 2,728 | Hardin County | 27.4 | low county distress | Delinquency |
| 39 | 2,731 | Pocahontas County | 27.2 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 40 | 2,745 | Louisa County | 26.6 | low county distress | Delinquency |
| 41 | 2,748 | Mills County | 26.6 | low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 42 | 2,754 | Dubuque County | 26.3 | low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 43 | 2,776 | Adams County | 25.8 | low county distress | Delinquency |
| 44 | 2,784 | Buena Vista County | 25.6 | low county distress | Delinquency |
| 45 | 2,790 | Adair County | 25.4 | low county distress | Delinquency |
| 46 | 2,801 | Floyd County | 25.2 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 47 | 2,802 | Guthrie County | 25.1 | low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 48 | 2,811 | Story County | 24.9 | low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 49 | 2,813 | Wright County | 24.9 | low county distress | Delinquency |
| 50 | 2,814 | Cerro Gordo County | 24.9 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 51 | 2,830 | Johnson County | 24.5 | low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 52 | 2,833 | Cherokee County | 24.4 | low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 53 | 2,845 | Franklin County | 24.1 | low county distress | Delinquency |
| 54 | 2,848 | Allamakee County | 24.1 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 55 | 2,882 | Fremont County | 22.9 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 56 | 2,886 | Taylor County | 22.8 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 57 | 2,900 | Jackson County | 22.3 | low county distress | Labor |
| 58 | 2,902 | Winnebago County | 22.2 | low county distress | Delinquency |
| 59 | 2,906 | Clayton County | 22.1 | low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 60 | 2,912 | Clay County | 21.9 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 61 | 2,914 | Hamilton County | 21.9 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 62 | 2,918 | Ringgold County | 21.8 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 63 | 2,921 | O'Brien County | 21.8 | low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 64 | 2,936 | Hancock County | 21.2 | low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 65 | 2,943 | Cedar County | 20.8 | low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 66 | 2,945 | Jones County | 20.8 | low county distress | Delinquency |
| 67 | 2,954 | Kossuth County | 20.6 | low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 68 | 2,969 | Humboldt County | 20.0 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 69 | 2,978 | Calhoun County | 19.8 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 70 | 2,979 | Shelby County | 19.8 | very low county distress | Delinquency |
| 71 | 2,985 | Marion County | 19.7 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 72 | 2,990 | Madison County | 19.6 | very low county distress | Delinquency |
| 73 | 2,995 | Davis County | 19.4 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 74 | 2,997 | Osceola County | 19.4 | very low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 75 | 2,998 | Iowa County | 19.4 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 76 | 3,007 | Mahaska County | 19.1 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 77 | 3,009 | Warren County | 19.0 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 78 | 3,017 | Delaware County | 17.9 | very low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 79 | 3,022 | Washington County | 17.5 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 80 | 3,023 | Boone County | 17.4 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 81 | 3,025 | Benton County | 17.4 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 82 | 3,028 | Worth County | 17.2 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 83 | 3,034 | Butler County | 16.9 | very low county distress | Labor |
| 84 | 3,039 | Palo Alto County | 16.5 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 85 | 3,044 | Buchanan County | 16.4 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 86 | 3,048 | Dickinson County | 16.3 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 87 | 3,056 | Ida County | 15.7 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 88 | 3,058 | Dallas County | 15.7 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 89 | 3,060 | Plymouth County | 15.6 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 90 | 3,073 | Chickasaw County | 14.7 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 91 | 3,075 | Carroll County | 14.7 | very low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 92 | 3,081 | Sac County | 14.3 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 93 | 3,087 | Mitchell County | 13.8 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 94 | 3,111 | Bremer County | 12.9 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 95 | 3,115 | Grundy County | 12.4 | very low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 96 | 3,117 | Howard County | 12.3 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 97 | 3,137 | Sioux County | 9.8 | exceptionally low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 98 | 3,142 | Winneshiek County | 7.5 | exceptionally low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 99 | 3,143 | Lyon County | 7.3 | exceptionally low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
How County Scores Work
Each county is scored 0–100 using five equal-weighted domains. Each domain averages its member indicators' county ranks, and the composite is the mean of those domain scores. Higher scores indicate greater household financial distress.
extreme county distress — 0 Iowa counties
very high county distress — 0 Iowa counties
high county distress — 0 Iowa counties
moderate-high county distress — 0 Iowa counties
moderate county distress — 2 Iowa counties
moderate-low county distress — 11 Iowa counties
low-moderate county distress — 21 Iowa counties
low county distress — 34 Iowa counties
very low county distress — 28 Iowa counties
exceptionally low county distress — 3 Iowa counties