Osceola County, Iowa

County Distress Index: Healthy · 33.2 | 5,978 people · 52nd most distressed in Iowa
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Osceola County, IA ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 33.2 — 2745th 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 52nd 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. Osceola County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 40.5 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 40.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 70
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 71
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 28
Homeownership Rate 29
Rent-to-Income Ratio 5
Employment & Wages 40.4
Unemployment Rate 5
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 22
Business Formation Rate 94
Income & Poverty 33.8
Poverty Rate 24
Income vs. State Median 37
Child Poverty Rate 40
Community Vulnerability 33.4
Uninsured Rate 46
Disability Rate 20
Debt & Delinquency 18.1
Debt in Collections 25
Medical Debt 31
Student Loan Delinquency 32
Auto Loan Delinquency 5
Credit Card Delinquency 5
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 10

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Osceola County
Osceola County, IA 33.2 Healthy —
Nobles County, MN 43.2 Normal +9.9
Clay County, IA 31.7 Healthy -1.6
Jackson County, MN 29.9 Healthy -3.4
Dickinson County, IA 28.3 Healthy -4.9
O'Brien County, IA 27.3 Healthy -5.9
Sioux County, IA 21.0 Healthy -12.2
Lyon County, IA 16.9 Healthy -16.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Osceola County
Warren County, IN 33.2 Healthy 0.0
Clark County, KS 33.2 Healthy -0.0
Adams County, ND 33.1 Healthy -0.1
Rock County, NE 33.4 Healthy +0.1
Nance County, NE 33.4 Healthy +0.2

Download Data

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

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Iowa State Bar Association Lawyer Referral 515-243-3179

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Osceola County has a County Distress Index score of 33.2 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,745th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 52nd in Iowa out of 99 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Osceola County?

    The primary driver of distress in Osceola County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 40.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Osceola County compare to neighboring counties?

    Osceola County (33.2) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Nobles County, MN (43.2); Clay County, IA (31.7); Jackson County, MN (29.9).

  • 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 Osceola County?

    Osceola County, Iowa has a population of approximately 5,978 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.