Dubuque County, Iowa
Above the national median for severe rent burden (50%+).
Main Findings
Dubuque County, Iowa ranks 2,754th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. Dubuque sits near the national median across major distress indicators. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).
- 2,754th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 26.3 · low county distress, 42nd in Iowa.
- 24% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent (U.S. median 18%). Severe rent burden (50%+) at the 86th percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023).
- Default & Legal domain score 34 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
- Delinquency domain score 16 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
- Labor domain score 16 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
Dubuque County has a low county distress score. The CDI reading is a county comparison, separate from national ADI bands.
The CDI gives this county a low county distress label. The score is a county comparison, separate from national ADI bands. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Dubuque County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Dubuque County's value shown alongside IA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Dubuque | IA median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 16 · Rank 2,746 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 4% | 3% | 5% | 26th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 3% | 4% | 5% | 11th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 15% | 17% | 23% | 13th | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 34 · Rank 2,230 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 15% | 17% | 23% | 20th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 123 | 101 | 126 | 49th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 52 · Rank 1,462 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 18% | 17% | 21% | 18th | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 24% | 17% | 18% | 86th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 16 · Rank 2,606 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 3% | 3% | 4% | 16th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 13 · Rank 2,942 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 10% | 14% | 18% | 11th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 11% | 14% | 16% | 9th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 10% | 10% | 14% | 17th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 4% | 5% | 8% | 4th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), FRED/Equifax (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2022 to 2026 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Dubuque County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 124-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
DUBUQUE, Iowa — Dubuque County ranks 2,754th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 26.3 out of 100 gives Dubuque a low county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 2,753 counties rank more distressed. Within Iowa, Dubuque ranks 42nd of 99 counties.
The index, which draws on 13 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, finds Dubuque sitting near the national median across major distress indicators, with no single domain emerging as a clear driver.
American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Dubuque County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Dubuque County's distress score?
How does Dubuque County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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