Montgomery County, Iowa

County Distress Index: Normal · 46.6 | 10,139 people · 12th most distressed in Iowa
American Default Research

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

Montgomery County, IA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 46.6 — 1857th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where income and poverty levels indicate moderate economic strain. Within Iowa, it ranks 12th of 99 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 6 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Montgomery County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 58.0 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 58.0
Poverty Rate 46
Income vs. State Median 78
Child Poverty Rate 50
Housing Cost Burden 54.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 67
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 92
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 30
Homeownership Rate 64
Rent-to-Income Ratio 21
Debt & Delinquency 50.6
Debt in Collections 48
Medical Debt 65
Student Loan Delinquency 32
Auto Loan Delinquency 5
Credit Card Delinquency 79
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 74
Employment & Wages 38.0
Unemployment Rate 16
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 16
Business Formation Rate 82
Community Vulnerability 31.3
Uninsured Rate 5
Disability Rate 58

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Montgomery County
Montgomery County, IA 46.6 Normal —
Pottawattamie County, IA 50.0 Elevated +3.5
Cass County, IA 46.0 Normal -0.5
Page County, IA 43.3 Normal -3.2
Taylor County, IA 34.4 Healthy -12.2
Adams County, IA 33.8 Healthy -12.8
Mills County, IA 31.7 Healthy -14.9
Fremont County, IA 27.1 Healthy -19.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Montgomery County
Mille Lacs County, MN 46.5 Normal -0.0
Adair County, MO 46.6 Normal +0.1
Otsego County, MI 46.5 Normal -0.1
Klickitat County, WA 46.5 Normal -0.1
Union County, KY 46.7 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Montgomery 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 Montgomery 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 Montgomery County, Iowa?

    Montgomery County has a County Distress Index score of 46.6 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,857th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 12th in Iowa out of 99 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Montgomery County?

    The primary driver of distress in Montgomery County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 58.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Montgomery County compare to neighboring counties?

    Montgomery County (46.6) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Pottawattamie County, IA (50.0); Cass County, IA (46.0); Page County, IA (43.3).

  • 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 Montgomery County?

    Montgomery County, Iowa has a population of approximately 10,139 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.