Clarke County, Iowa

County Distress Index: Normal · 40.9 | 9,588 people · 23rd most distressed in Iowa
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Clarke County, IA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 40.9 — 2295th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where health coverage gaps and disability rates are moderately elevated. Within Iowa, it ranks 23rd of 99 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Clarke County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 46.3 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 46.3
Uninsured Rate 21
Disability Rate 71
Employment & Wages 42.2
Unemployment Rate 30
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 22
Business Formation Rate 74
Debt & Delinquency 41.7
Debt in Collections 49
Medical Debt 72
Student Loan Delinquency 32
Auto Loan Delinquency 75
Credit Card Delinquency 11
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 11
Income & Poverty 41.5
Poverty Rate 24
Income vs. State Median 63
Child Poverty Rate 37
Housing Cost Burden 33.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 42
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 26
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 14
Homeownership Rate 72
Rent-to-Income Ratio 11

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Clarke County
Clarke County, IA 40.9 Normal —
Decatur County, IA 51.8 Elevated +10.9
Lucas County, IA 49.3 Normal +8.4
Union County, IA 45.0 Normal +4.0
Wayne County, IA 43.7 Normal +2.7
Ringgold County, IA 39.7 Normal -1.3
Madison County, IA 29.6 Healthy -11.4
Warren County, IA 24.3 Healthy -16.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Clarke County
Morris County, KS 40.9 Normal -0.0
Hamilton County, NY 40.9 Normal -0.0
Brown County, KS 41.0 Normal +0.1
Daviess County, MO 40.8 Normal -0.2
Treasure County, MT 40.8 Normal -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Clarke 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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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Clarke County has a County Distress Index score of 40.9 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,295th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 23rd in Iowa out of 99 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Clarke County?

    The primary driver of distress in Clarke County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 46.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Clarke County compare to neighboring counties?

    Clarke County (40.9) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Decatur County, IA (51.8); Lucas County, IA (49.3); Union County, IA (45.0).

  • 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 Clarke County?

    Clarke County, Iowa has a population of approximately 9,588 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.