O'Brien County, Iowa

County Distress Index: Healthy · 27.3 | 14,012 people · 77th most distressed in Iowa
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O'Brien County, IA ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 27.3 — 2974th 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 77th of 99 counties. Among its 8 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. O'Brien County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 33.7 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 33.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 25
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 61
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 43
Homeownership Rate 34
Rent-to-Income Ratio 5
Employment & Wages 29.4
Unemployment Rate 6
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 29
Business Formation Rate 54
Debt & Delinquency 28.2
Debt in Collections 19
Medical Debt 19
Student Loan Delinquency 30
Auto Loan Delinquency 48
Credit Card Delinquency 21
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 33
Income & Poverty 23.7
Poverty Rate 13
Income vs. State Median 45
Child Poverty Rate 12
Community Vulnerability 21.5
Uninsured Rate 5
Disability Rate 38

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

Neighbors and Peers

How O'Brien County compares to its 8 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. O'Brien County
O'Brien County, IA 27.3 Healthy —
Buena Vista County, IA 33.9 Healthy +6.6
Osceola County, IA 33.2 Healthy +5.9
Cherokee County, IA 32.4 Healthy +5.1
Clay County, IA 31.7 Healthy +4.4
Dickinson County, IA 28.3 Healthy +1.0
Sioux County, IA 21.0 Healthy -6.3
Plymouth County, IA 18.5 Healthy -8.8
Lyon County, IA 16.9 Healthy -10.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. O'Brien County
McPherson County, KS 27.3 Healthy +0.0
Valley County, ID 27.2 Healthy -0.1
King George County, VA 27.1 Healthy -0.2
Buchanan County, IA 27.1 Healthy -0.2
Holmes County, OH 27.1 Healthy -0.3

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for O'Brien County as a CSV file.

Find Help in O'Brien 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 O'Brien 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 O'Brien County, Iowa?

    O'Brien County has a County Distress Index score of 27.3 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,974th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 77th in Iowa out of 99 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in O'Brien County?

    The primary driver of distress in O'Brien County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 33.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does O'Brien County compare to neighboring counties?

    O'Brien County (27.3) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Buena Vista County, IA (33.9); Osceola County, IA (33.2); Cherokee County, IA (32.4).

  • 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 O'Brien County?

    O'Brien County, Iowa has a population of approximately 14,012 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.