Cowley County, Kansas

County Distress Index: Elevated · 55.7 | 34,157 people · 10th most distressed in Kansas
American Default Research

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

Cowley County, KS registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 55.7 — 1163rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where income and poverty levels indicate moderate economic strain. Within Kansas, it ranks 10th of 105 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Cowley County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 64.7 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 64.7
Poverty Rate 63
Income vs. State Median 69
Child Poverty Rate 62
Community Vulnerability 59.9
Uninsured Rate 51
Disability Rate 68
Housing Cost Burden 55.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 73
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 47
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 66
Homeownership Rate 69
Rent-to-Income Ratio 22
Employment & Wages 50.6
Unemployment Rate 41
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 16
Business Formation Rate 94
Debt & Delinquency 48.2
Debt in Collections 52
Medical Debt 30
Student Loan Delinquency 67
Auto Loan Delinquency 49
Credit Card Delinquency 36
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 55

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Cowley County
Cowley County, KS 55.7 Elevated —
Kay County, OK 65.1 Serious +9.4
Elk County, KS 62.8 Elevated +7.0
Chautauqua County, KS 61.0 Elevated +5.3
Osage County, OK 60.5 Elevated +4.8
Sedgwick County, KS 50.0 Normal -5.8
Sumner County, KS 49.2 Normal -6.5
Butler County, KS 39.5 Normal -16.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Cowley County
Tishomingo County, MS 55.7 Elevated -0.0
Hancock County, WV 55.7 Elevated -0.0
Hot Spring County, AR 55.8 Elevated +0.0
Vernon County, MO 55.8 Elevated +0.0
Lamar County, AL 55.8 Elevated +0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Cowley County

Find an Attorney

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

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Cowley County residents at no cost.

Kansas Legal Services 1-800-723-6953

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 Kansas →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Cowley County has a County Distress Index score of 55.7 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,163rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 10th in Kansas out of 105 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Cowley County?

    The primary driver of distress in Cowley County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 64.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Cowley County compare to neighboring counties?

    Cowley County (55.7) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Kay County, OK (65.1); Elk County, KS (62.8); Chautauqua County, KS (61.0).

  • 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 Cowley County?

    Cowley County, Kansas has a population of approximately 34,157 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.