Carroll County, Iowa

County Distress Index: Healthy · 26.6 | 20,522 people · 80th most distressed in Iowa
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Carroll County, IA ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 26.6 — 2995th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where housing remains relatively affordable compared to local incomes. Within Iowa, it ranks 80th of 99 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 6 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Carroll County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 36.5 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 36.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 60
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 28
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 29
Homeownership Rate 47
Rent-to-Income Ratio 18
Employment & Wages 34.6
Unemployment Rate 6
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 19
Business Formation Rate 79
Income & Poverty 31.7
Poverty Rate 15
Income vs. State Median 74
Child Poverty Rate 6
Debt & Delinquency 18.1
Debt in Collections 5
Medical Debt 16
Student Loan Delinquency 34
Auto Loan Delinquency 18
Credit Card Delinquency 14
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 21
Community Vulnerability 12.0
Uninsured Rate 1
Disability Rate 23

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Carroll County
Carroll County, IA 26.6 Healthy —
Crawford County, IA 43.2 Normal +16.6
Greene County, IA 39.6 Normal +13.1
Audubon County, IA 33.7 Healthy +7.1
Calhoun County, IA 29.1 Healthy +2.5
Shelby County, IA 28.4 Healthy +1.8
Guthrie County, IA 28.0 Healthy +1.4
Sac County, IA 21.8 Healthy -4.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Carroll County
Blaine County, ID 26.5 Healthy -0.1
Stark County, ND 26.5 Healthy -0.1
Poquoson city, VA 26.7 Healthy +0.1
Posey County, IN 26.7 Healthy +0.1
Jefferson County, MT 26.4 Healthy -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Carroll County

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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

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Iowa Legal Aid 1-800-532-1275

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Carroll County has a County Distress Index score of 26.6 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,995th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 80th in Iowa out of 99 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Carroll County?

    The primary driver of distress in Carroll County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 36.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Carroll County compare to neighboring counties?

    Carroll County (26.6) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Crawford County, IA (43.2); Greene County, IA (39.6); Audubon County, IA (33.7).

  • 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 Carroll County?

    Carroll County, Iowa has a population of approximately 20,522 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.