Lucas County, Iowa

County Distress Index: Normal · 49.3 | 8,747 people · 10th most distressed in Iowa
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Lucas County, IA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 49.3 — 1648th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Iowa, it ranks 10th of 99 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Lucas County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 66.1 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 66.1
Poverty Rate 51
Income vs. State Median 81
Child Poverty Rate 66
Community Vulnerability 53.1
Uninsured Rate 48
Disability Rate 58
Housing Cost Burden 46.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 24
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 87
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 72
Homeownership Rate 14
Rent-to-Income Ratio 35
Debt & Delinquency 43.8
Debt in Collections 31
Medical Debt 65
Student Loan Delinquency 32
Auto Loan Delinquency 37
Credit Card Delinquency 47
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 50
Employment & Wages 37.2
Unemployment Rate 45
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 32
Business Formation Rate 35

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Lucas County
Lucas County, IA 49.3 Normal —
Appanoose County, IA 58.0 Elevated +8.7
Decatur County, IA 51.8 Elevated +2.5
Wayne County, IA 43.7 Normal -5.6
Clarke County, IA 40.9 Normal -8.4
Monroe County, IA 34.9 Healthy -14.4
Warren County, IA 24.3 Healthy -24.9
Marion County, IA 23.9 Healthy -25.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Lucas County
Benton County, IN 49.3 Normal 0.0
Dade County, MO 49.3 Normal -0.0
Aleutians East Borough, AK 49.3 Normal -0.0
Russell County, KS 49.4 Normal +0.1
Essex County, VT 49.0 Normal -0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Lucas County

Find an Attorney

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

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Lucas County residents at no cost.

Iowa Legal Aid 1-800-532-1275

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Iowa →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Lucas County has a County Distress Index score of 49.3 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,648th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 10th in Iowa out of 99 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Lucas County?

    The primary driver of distress in Lucas County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 66.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Lucas County compare to neighboring counties?

    Lucas County (49.3) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Appanoose County, IA (58.0); Decatur County, IA (51.8); Wayne County, IA (43.7).

  • 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 Lucas County?

    Lucas County, Iowa has a population of approximately 8,747 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.