Black Hawk County, Iowa

County Distress Index: Normal · 45.0 | 130,471 people · 14th most distressed in Iowa
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Black Hawk County, IA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 45.0 — 1986th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Iowa, it ranks 14th of 99 counties. It scores higher than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Black Hawk County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 72.7 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 72.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 82
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 88
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 65
Homeownership Rate 84
Rent-to-Income Ratio 45
Income & Poverty 55.3
Poverty Rate 56
Income vs. State Median 75
Child Poverty Rate 36
Debt & Delinquency 45.9
Debt in Collections 49
Medical Debt 46
Student Loan Delinquency 46
Auto Loan Delinquency 44
Credit Card Delinquency 39
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 50
Employment & Wages 30.3
Unemployment Rate 52
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 14
Business Formation Rate 24
Community Vulnerability 20.8
Uninsured Rate 11
Disability Rate 30

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Black Hawk County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Black Hawk County
Black Hawk County, IA 45.0 Normal —
Fayette County, IA 43.5 Normal -1.5
Tama County, IA 41.3 Normal -3.7
Buchanan County, IA 27.1 Healthy -17.9
Butler County, IA 22.1 Healthy -22.9
Benton County, IA 21.9 Healthy -23.1
Bremer County, IA 20.6 Healthy -24.4
Grundy County, IA 18.4 Healthy -26.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Black Hawk County
Catawba County, NC 45.0 Normal 0.0
Dickson County, TN 45.0 Normal 0.0
DeSoto County, MS 44.9 Normal -0.1
Kootenai County, ID 45.1 Normal +0.1
Parker County, TX 44.9 Normal -0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Black Hawk County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Black Hawk County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Black Hawk County.

CCCS OF ROCHESTER-NORTHEASTERN IOWA
Waterloo
800-714-4388
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingPre-PurchaseRental Help
FAMILY MANAGEMENT FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS, INC.
Waterloo
319-234-6695 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingHomeless/DisplacementPre-Purchase

See all counselors in Iowa →

Find an Attorney

Iowa State Bar Association Lawyer Referral offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Iowa State Bar Association Lawyer Referral 515-243-3179

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Black Hawk County residents at no cost.

Iowa Legal Aid 1-800-532-1275

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

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Iowa →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Black Hawk County, Iowa?

    Black Hawk County has a County Distress Index score of 45.0 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,986th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 14th in Iowa out of 99 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Black Hawk County?

    The primary driver of distress in Black Hawk County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 72.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Black Hawk County compare to neighboring counties?

    Black Hawk County (45.0) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Fayette County, IA (43.5); Tama County, IA (41.3); Buchanan County, IA (27.1).

  • 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 Black Hawk County?

    Black Hawk County, Iowa has a population of approximately 130,471 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.