Jefferson County, Iowa

County Distress Index: Elevated · 50.2 | 15,440 people · 6th most distressed in Iowa
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Jefferson County, IA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 50.2 — 1579th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Iowa, it ranks 6th of 99 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Jefferson County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 75.5 — worse than roughly 76% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 75.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 87
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 81
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 64
Homeownership Rate 84
Rent-to-Income Ratio 62
Income & Poverty 64.5
Poverty Rate 55
Income vs. State Median 85
Child Poverty Rate 54
Debt & Delinquency 46.8
Debt in Collections 30
Medical Debt 76
Student Loan Delinquency 66
Auto Loan Delinquency 15
Credit Card Delinquency 22
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 72
Community Vulnerability 36.1
Uninsured Rate 42
Disability Rate 30
Employment & Wages 28.3
Unemployment Rate 23
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 44
Business Formation Rate 18

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Jefferson County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Jefferson County
Jefferson County, IA 50.2 Elevated —
Wapello County, IA 58.9 Elevated +8.7
Van Buren County, IA 49.7 Normal -0.5
Henry County, IA 40.9 Normal -9.3
Keokuk County, IA 36.3 Normal -13.9
Davis County, IA 34.6 Healthy -15.6
Washington County, IA 31.5 Healthy -18.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Jefferson County
Delta County, MI 50.2 Elevated 0.0
Pine County, MN 50.2 Elevated +0.0
Garrard County, KY 50.3 Elevated +0.1
Lafayette County, MO 50.1 Elevated -0.1
Allegany County, NY 50.1 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson County, Iowa?

    Jefferson County has a County Distress Index score of 50.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,579th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 6th in Iowa out of 99 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Jefferson County?

    The primary driver of distress in Jefferson County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 75.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Jefferson County compare to neighboring counties?

    Jefferson County (50.2) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Wapello County, IA (58.9); Van Buren County, IA (49.7); Henry County, IA (40.9).

  • 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 Jefferson County?

    Jefferson County, Iowa has a population of approximately 15,440 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.