Audubon County, Iowa

County Distress Index: Healthy · 33.7 | 5,534 people · 47th most distressed in Iowa
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Audubon County, IA ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 33.7 — 2717th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where housing costs consume a moderate share of household income. Within Iowa, it ranks 47th of 99 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Audubon County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 52.3 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 52.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 70
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 83
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 58
Homeownership Rate 39
Rent-to-Income Ratio 11
Income & Poverty 38.2
Poverty Rate 22
Income vs. State Median 64
Child Poverty Rate 28
Employment & Wages 33.3
Unemployment Rate 10
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 19
Business Formation Rate 71
Debt & Delinquency 32.0
Debt in Collections 17
Medical Debt 26
Student Loan Delinquency 32
Auto Loan Delinquency 19
Credit Card Delinquency 5
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 92
Community Vulnerability 12.7
Uninsured Rate 5
Disability Rate 20

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Audubon County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Audubon County
Audubon County, IA 33.7 Healthy —
Cass County, IA 46.0 Normal +12.3
Crawford County, IA 43.2 Normal +9.5
Adair County, IA 31.1 Healthy -2.7
Shelby County, IA 28.4 Healthy -5.3
Guthrie County, IA 28.0 Healthy -5.7
Carroll County, IA 26.6 Healthy -7.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Audubon County
Clear Creek County, CO 33.7 Healthy +0.0
Adams County, IA 33.8 Healthy +0.0
Hamilton County, KS 33.8 Healthy +0.0
Jerauld County, SD 33.7 Healthy -0.0
Chariton County, MO 33.8 Healthy +0.1

Download Data

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

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Iowa State Bar Association Lawyer Referral 515-243-3179

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Audubon County, Iowa?

    Audubon County has a County Distress Index score of 33.7 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,717th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 47th in Iowa out of 99 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Audubon County?

    The primary driver of distress in Audubon County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 52.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Audubon County compare to neighboring counties?

    Audubon County (33.7) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Cass County, IA (46.0); Crawford County, IA (43.2); Adair County, IA (31.1).

  • 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 Audubon County?

    Audubon County, Iowa has a population of approximately 5,534 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.