Dallas County, Iowa

County Distress Index: Healthy · 19.1 | 111,092 people · 96th most distressed in Iowa
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Dallas County, IA ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 19.1 — 3122nd 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 96th of 99 counties. It scores lower than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Dallas County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 44.2 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 44.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 35
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 26
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 84
Homeownership Rate 72
Rent-to-Income Ratio 4
Debt & Delinquency 23.3
Debt in Collections 10
Medical Debt 32
Student Loan Delinquency 9
Auto Loan Delinquency 20
Credit Card Delinquency 17
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 51
Employment & Wages 20.9
Unemployment Rate 19
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 12
Business Formation Rate 32
Community Vulnerability 4.9
Uninsured Rate 9
Disability Rate 1
Income & Poverty 2.4
Poverty Rate 2
Income vs. State Median 4
Child Poverty Rate 1

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Dallas County
Dallas County, IA 19.1 Healthy —
Greene County, IA 39.6 Normal +20.5
Polk County, IA 35.8 Normal +16.7
Adair County, IA 31.1 Healthy +11.9
Madison County, IA 29.6 Healthy +10.4
Guthrie County, IA 28.0 Healthy +8.9
Warren County, IA 24.3 Healthy +5.2
Boone County, IA 23.2 Healthy +4.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Dallas County
Delaware County, OH 18.8 Healthy -0.3
Warrick County, IN 20.9 Healthy +1.7
Boone County, IN 21.0 Healthy +1.9
Union County, OH 21.2 Healthy +2.1
Ozaukee County, WI 21.8 Healthy +2.7

Download Data

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

Find Help in Dallas County

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Iowa State Bar Association Lawyer Referral 515-243-3179

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Dallas County has a County Distress Index score of 19.1 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 3,122nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 96th in Iowa out of 99 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Dallas County?

    The primary driver of distress in Dallas County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 44.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Dallas County compare to neighboring counties?

    Dallas County (19.1) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Greene County, IA (39.6); Polk County, IA (35.8); Adair County, IA (31.1).

  • 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 Dallas County?

    Dallas County, Iowa has a population of approximately 111,092 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.