Douglas County, Kansas

County Distress Index: Normal · 44.9 | 120,553 people · 39th most distressed in Kansas
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Douglas County, KS falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 44.9 — 2001st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Kansas, it ranks 39th of 105 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Douglas County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 82.5 — worse than roughly 83% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 82.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 90
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 91
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 85
Homeownership Rate 98
Rent-to-Income Ratio 47
Employment & Wages 49.7
Unemployment Rate 27
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 60
Business Formation Rate 62
Debt & Delinquency 34.5
Debt in Collections 33
Medical Debt 58
Student Loan Delinquency 27
Auto Loan Delinquency 15
Credit Card Delinquency 30
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 43
Community Vulnerability 29.0
Uninsured Rate 47
Disability Rate 11
Income & Poverty 28.8
Poverty Rate 48
Income vs. State Median 29
Child Poverty Rate 10

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Douglas County
Douglas County, KS 44.9 Normal —
Franklin County, KS 52.2 Elevated +7.4
Shawnee County, KS 50.8 Elevated +5.9
Osage County, KS 47.0 Normal +2.1
Leavenworth County, KS 41.8 Normal -3.1
Miami County, KS 34.1 Healthy -10.8
Jefferson County, KS 28.9 Healthy -15.9
Johnson County, KS 22.3 Healthy -22.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Douglas County
Rutland County, VT 44.9 Normal 0.0
Parker County, TX 44.9 Normal +0.0
DeSoto County, MS 44.9 Normal +0.1
Marquette County, MI 44.8 Normal -0.1
Nevada County, CA 44.8 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Douglas County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Douglas County.

HOUSING AND CREDIT COUNSELING, INC. (HCCI)
LAWRENCE
785-234-0217 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling

See all counselors in Kansas →

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 Douglas 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 →

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Douglas County has a County Distress Index score of 44.9 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,001st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 39th in Kansas out of 105 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Douglas County?

    The primary driver of distress in Douglas County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 82.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Douglas County compare to neighboring counties?

    Douglas County (44.9) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Franklin County, KS (52.2); Shawnee County, KS (50.8); Osage County, KS (47.0).

  • 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 Douglas County?

    Douglas County, Kansas has a population of approximately 120,553 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.