Scott County, Iowa

County Distress Index: Normal · 38.1 | 174,270 people · 33rd most distressed in Iowa
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Scott County, IA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 38.1 — 2468th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where housing costs consume a moderate share of household income. Within Iowa, it ranks 33rd of 99 counties. Among its 4 neighboring counties, 3 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Scott County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 57.1 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 57.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 73
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 59
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 64
Homeownership Rate 72
Rent-to-Income Ratio 18
Debt & Delinquency 45.2
Debt in Collections 43
Medical Debt 33
Student Loan Delinquency 50
Auto Loan Delinquency 48
Credit Card Delinquency 44
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 54
Employment & Wages 42.6
Unemployment Rate 58
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 25
Business Formation Rate 44
Income & Poverty 25.9
Poverty Rate 29
Income vs. State Median 25
Child Poverty Rate 24
Community Vulnerability 19.8
Uninsured Rate 22
Disability Rate 17

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Scott County compares to its 4 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Scott County
Scott County, IA 38.1 Normal —
Rock Island County, IL 54.2 Elevated +16.0
Clinton County, IA 46.9 Normal +8.8
Muscatine County, IA 39.7 Normal +1.6
Cedar County, IA 28.0 Healthy -10.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Scott County
Wayne County, OH 38.2 Normal +0.0
Moore County, NC 38.2 Normal +0.0
Stearns County, MN 38.2 Normal +0.1
Ontario County, NY 38.3 Normal +0.1
Franklin County, MO 38.3 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Scott 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 Scott 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 Scott County, Iowa?

    Scott County has a County Distress Index score of 38.1 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,468th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 33rd in Iowa out of 99 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Scott County?

    The primary driver of distress in Scott County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 57.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Scott County compare to neighboring counties?

    Scott County (38.1) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Rock Island County, IL (54.2); Clinton County, IA (46.9); Muscatine County, IA (39.7).

  • 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 Scott County?

    Scott County, Iowa has a population of approximately 174,270 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.