Buchanan County, Iowa

County Distress Index: Healthy · 27.1 | 20,691 people · 79th most distressed in Iowa
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Buchanan County, IA ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 27.1 — 2981st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Iowa, it ranks 79th of 99 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Buchanan County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 48.0 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 48.0
Unemployment Rate 34
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 27
Business Formation Rate 83
Housing Cost Burden 24.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 45
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 18
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 46
Homeownership Rate 14
Rent-to-Income Ratio 1
Debt & Delinquency 22.7
Debt in Collections 15
Medical Debt 40
Student Loan Delinquency 17
Auto Loan Delinquency 4
Credit Card Delinquency 23
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 37
Community Vulnerability 22.2
Uninsured Rate 28
Disability Rate 16
Income & Poverty 17.7
Poverty Rate 12
Income vs. State Median 20
Child Poverty Rate 21

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Buchanan County
Buchanan County, IA 27.1 Healthy —
Black Hawk County, IA 45.0 Normal +17.9
Fayette County, IA 43.5 Normal +16.4
Clayton County, IA 39.5 Normal +12.4
Linn County, IA 31.7 Healthy +4.6
Delaware County, IA 28.0 Healthy +0.9
Benton County, IA 21.9 Healthy -5.1
Bremer County, IA 20.6 Healthy -6.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Buchanan County
King George County, VA 27.1 Healthy +0.0
Holmes County, OH 27.1 Healthy -0.0
Valley County, ID 27.2 Healthy +0.1
New Kent County, VA 26.9 Healthy -0.2
O'Brien County, IA 27.3 Healthy +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Buchanan County

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 Buchanan 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 →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Buchanan County has a County Distress Index score of 27.1 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,981st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 79th in Iowa out of 99 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Buchanan County?

    The primary driver of distress in Buchanan County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 48.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Buchanan County compare to neighboring counties?

    Buchanan County (27.1) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Black Hawk County, IA (45.0); Fayette County, IA (43.5); Clayton County, IA (39.5).

  • 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 Buchanan County?

    Buchanan County, Iowa has a population of approximately 20,691 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.