Franklin County, Iowa

County Distress Index: Healthy · 34.3 | 9,875 people · 42nd most distressed in Iowa
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Franklin County, IA ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 34.3 — 2683rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where health coverage and disability rates are better than the national average. Within Iowa, it ranks 42nd of 99 counties. Among its 8 neighboring counties, 7 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Franklin County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 40.6 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 40.6
Uninsured Rate 69
Disability Rate 12
Employment & Wages 38.8
Unemployment Rate 23
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 12
Business Formation Rate 82
Income & Poverty 37.1
Poverty Rate 32
Income vs. State Median 42
Child Poverty Rate 38
Debt & Delinquency 33.7
Debt in Collections 27
Medical Debt 23
Student Loan Delinquency 32
Auto Loan Delinquency 65
Credit Card Delinquency 50
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 5
Housing Cost Burden 21.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 18
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 5
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 20
Homeownership Rate 60
Rent-to-Income Ratio 5

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Franklin County
Franklin County, IA 34.3 Healthy —
Floyd County, IA 35.8 Normal +1.5
Hardin County, IA 33.5 Healthy -0.9
Cerro Gordo County, IA 33.5 Healthy -0.9
Wright County, IA 30.2 Healthy -4.1
Hamilton County, IA 26.0 Healthy -8.4
Hancock County, IA 25.5 Healthy -8.9
Butler County, IA 22.1 Healthy -12.3
Grundy County, IA 18.4 Healthy -16.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Franklin County
Lincoln County, MN 34.3 Healthy -0.0
Taylor County, IA 34.4 Healthy +0.0
Divide County, ND 34.4 Healthy +0.0
San Miguel County, CO 34.2 Healthy -0.2
Eddy County, ND 34.5 Healthy +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Franklin 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 Franklin County, Iowa?

    Franklin County has a County Distress Index score of 34.3 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,683rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 42nd in Iowa out of 99 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Franklin County?

    The primary driver of distress in Franklin County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 40.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Franklin County compare to neighboring counties?

    Franklin County (34.3) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Floyd County, IA (35.8); Hardin County, IA (33.5); Cerro Gordo County, IA (33.5).

  • 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 Franklin County?

    Franklin County, Iowa has a population of approximately 9,875 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.