Iowa County, Iowa

County Distress Index: Healthy · 27.7 | 16,381 people · 75th most distressed in Iowa
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Iowa County, IA ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 27.7 — 2965th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where the job market is relatively stable with wages that keep pace with costs. Within Iowa, it ranks 75th of 99 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 6 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Iowa County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 42.7 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 42.7
Unemployment Rate 30
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 20
Business Formation Rate 78
Housing Cost Burden 40.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 19
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 52
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 85
Homeownership Rate 41
Rent-to-Income Ratio 5
Debt & Delinquency 25.1
Debt in Collections 10
Medical Debt 24
Student Loan Delinquency 50
Auto Loan Delinquency 8
Credit Card Delinquency 7
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 51
Community Vulnerability 17.6
Uninsured Rate 5
Disability Rate 30
Income & Poverty 13.1
Poverty Rate 5
Income vs. State Median 29
Child Poverty Rate 5

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Iowa County
Iowa County, IA 27.7 Healthy —
Tama County, IA 41.3 Normal +13.5
Keokuk County, IA 36.3 Normal +8.6
Johnson County, IA 34.0 Healthy +6.2
Poweshiek County, IA 33.5 Healthy +5.8
Linn County, IA 31.7 Healthy +3.9
Washington County, IA 31.5 Healthy +3.8
Benton County, IA 21.9 Healthy -5.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Iowa County
Roseau County, MN 27.8 Healthy +0.0
Jefferson County, ID 27.6 Healthy -0.1
Guthrie County, IA 28.0 Healthy +0.3
Wabasha County, MN 28.0 Healthy +0.3
Cedar County, IA 28.0 Healthy +0.3

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Iowa County has a County Distress Index score of 27.7 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,965th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 75th in Iowa out of 99 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Iowa County?

    The primary driver of distress in Iowa County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 42.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Iowa County compare to neighboring counties?

    Iowa County (27.7) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Tama County, IA (41.3); Keokuk County, IA (36.3); Johnson County, IA (34.0).

  • 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 Iowa County?

    Iowa County, Iowa has a population of approximately 16,381 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.