Hancock County, Iowa

County Distress Index: Healthy · 25.5 | 10,615 people · 84th most distressed in Iowa
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Hancock County, IA ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 25.5 — 3030th 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 84th 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. Hancock County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 31.1 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 31.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 37
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 87
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 14
Homeownership Rate 11
Rent-to-Income Ratio 7
Income & Poverty 28.6
Poverty Rate 20
Income vs. State Median 53
Child Poverty Rate 13
Employment & Wages 26.8
Unemployment Rate 23
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 5
Business Formation Rate 53
Community Vulnerability 21.7
Uninsured Rate 14
Disability Rate 29
Debt & Delinquency 19.1
Debt in Collections 11
Medical Debt 40
Student Loan Delinquency 32
Auto Loan Delinquency 5
Credit Card Delinquency 8
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 18

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Hancock County
Hancock County, IA 25.5 Healthy —
Franklin County, IA 34.3 Healthy +8.9
Winnebago County, IA 33.5 Healthy +8.0
Cerro Gordo County, IA 33.5 Healthy +8.0
Wright County, IA 30.2 Healthy +4.7
Kossuth County, IA 28.3 Healthy +2.8
Worth County, IA 27.4 Healthy +1.9
Humboldt County, IA 26.0 Healthy +0.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Hancock County
Leelanau County, MI 25.3 Healthy -0.2
Spencer County, IN 25.8 Healthy +0.3
Teton County, WY 25.1 Healthy -0.3
Douglas County, MN 25.9 Healthy +0.4
Falls Church city, VA 25.9 Healthy +0.4

Download Data

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

Find Help in Hancock 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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Legal aid organizations serving Hancock County residents at no cost.

Iowa Legal Aid 1-800-532-1275

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Hancock County has a County Distress Index score of 25.5 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 3,030th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 84th in Iowa out of 99 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Hancock County?

    The primary driver of distress in Hancock County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 31.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Hancock County compare to neighboring counties?

    Hancock County (25.5) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Franklin County, IA (34.3); Winnebago 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 Hancock County?

    Hancock County, Iowa has a population of approximately 10,615 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.