Cherokee County, Kansas

County Distress Index: Elevated · 53.0 | 19,054 people · 16th most distressed in Kansas
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Cherokee County, KS registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 53.0 — 1369th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where uninsured and disability rates are well above the national average. Within Kansas, it ranks 16th of 105 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Cherokee County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 70.7 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 70.7
Uninsured Rate 65
Disability Rate 76
Income & Poverty 66.1
Poverty Rate 63
Income vs. State Median 75
Child Poverty Rate 60
Debt & Delinquency 52.3
Debt in Collections 66
Medical Debt 66
Student Loan Delinquency 78
Auto Loan Delinquency 35
Credit Card Delinquency 49
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 21
Housing Cost Burden 41.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 49
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 59
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 15
Homeownership Rate 60
Rent-to-Income Ratio 27
Employment & Wages 34.1
Unemployment Rate 34
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 5
Business Formation Rate 63

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Cherokee County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Cherokee County
Cherokee County, KS 53.0 Elevated —
Ottawa County, OK 71.2 Serious +18.1
Craig County, OK 65.9 Serious +12.9
Crawford County, KS 65.2 Serious +12.1
Labette County, KS 61.7 Elevated +8.6
Jasper County, MO 58.4 Elevated +5.3
Newton County, MO 43.8 Normal -9.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Cherokee County
Crawford County, OH 53.0 Elevated -0.0
Alcona County, MI 53.0 Elevated -0.0
Manistee County, MI 53.0 Elevated -0.1
Carroll County, AR 53.0 Elevated -0.1
Benewah County, ID 52.9 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Cherokee County

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Kansas Bar Association Lawyer Referral offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Kansas Bar Association Lawyer Referral 785-234-5696

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Legal aid organizations serving Cherokee County residents at no cost.

Kansas Legal Services 1-800-723-6953

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Cherokee County, Kansas?

    Cherokee County has a County Distress Index score of 53.0 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,369th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 16th in Kansas out of 105 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Cherokee County?

    The primary driver of distress in Cherokee County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 70.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Cherokee County compare to neighboring counties?

    Cherokee County (53.0) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Ottawa County, OK (71.2); Craig County, OK (65.9); Crawford County, KS (65.2).

  • 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 Cherokee County?

    Cherokee County, Kansas has a population of approximately 19,054 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.