Clay County, Iowa

County Distress Index: Healthy · 31.7 | 16,511 people · 56th most distressed in Iowa
American Default Research

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

Clay County, IA ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 31.7 — 2818th 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 56th of 99 counties. Among its 8 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Clay County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 39.8 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 39.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 26
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 36
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 73
Homeownership Rate 58
Rent-to-Income Ratio 5
Employment & Wages 36.4
Unemployment Rate 27
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 11
Business Formation Rate 71
Income & Poverty 32.6
Poverty Rate 24
Income vs. State Median 39
Child Poverty Rate 35
Community Vulnerability 27.6
Uninsured Rate 13
Disability Rate 42
Debt & Delinquency 22.0
Debt in Collections 24
Medical Debt 20
Student Loan Delinquency 5
Auto Loan Delinquency 14
Credit Card Delinquency 34
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 35

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Clay County compares to its 8 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Clay County
Clay County, IA 31.7 Healthy —
Emmet County, IA 39.7 Normal +8.0
Pocahontas County, IA 34.0 Healthy +2.4
Buena Vista County, IA 33.9 Healthy +2.2
Osceola County, IA 33.2 Healthy +1.6
Cherokee County, IA 32.4 Healthy +0.7
Palo Alto County, IA 30.7 Healthy -1.0
Dickinson County, IA 28.3 Healthy -3.4
O'Brien County, IA 27.3 Healthy -4.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Clay County
De Witt County, IL 31.7 Healthy 0.0
Mills County, IA 31.7 Healthy +0.0
Nicollet County, MN 31.8 Healthy +0.1
Dodge County, MN 31.8 Healthy +0.1
Meeker County, MN 31.8 Healthy +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Clay 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 Clay 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 Clay County, Iowa?

    Clay County has a County Distress Index score of 31.7 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,818th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 56th in Iowa out of 99 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Clay County?

    The primary driver of distress in Clay County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 39.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Clay County compare to neighboring counties?

    Clay County (31.7) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Emmet County, IA (39.7); Pocahontas County, IA (34.0); Buena Vista County, IA (33.9).

  • 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 Clay County?

    Clay County, Iowa has a population of approximately 16,511 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.