Harper County, Kansas

County Distress Index: Normal · 46.1 | 5,435 people · 34th most distressed in Kansas
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Harper County, KS falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 46.1 — 1888th 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 34th of 105 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 3 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Harper County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 68.0 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 68.0
Uninsured Rate 59
Disability Rate 77
Income & Poverty 64.5
Poverty Rate 55
Income vs. State Median 80
Child Poverty Rate 59
Debt & Delinquency 40.6
Debt in Collections 30
Medical Debt 18
Student Loan Delinquency 41
Auto Loan Delinquency 76
Credit Card Delinquency 58
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 22
Housing Cost Burden 30.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 22
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 29
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 16
Homeownership Rate 54
Rent-to-Income Ratio 32
Employment & Wages 27.1
Unemployment Rate 19
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 24
Business Formation Rate 39

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Harper County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Harper County
Harper County, KS 46.1 Normal —
Alfalfa County, OK 52.6 Elevated +6.4
Sumner County, KS 49.2 Normal +3.1
Grant County, OK 46.3 Normal +0.1
Kingman County, KS 42.8 Normal -3.4
Barber County, KS 38.3 Normal -7.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Harper County
Hamilton County, IL 46.1 Normal -0.0
Hooker County, NE 46.1 Normal -0.0
Upton County, TX 46.2 Normal +0.0
Loup County, NE 46.1 Normal -0.1
Wilson County, KS 46.2 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Harper 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

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Harper 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 Harper County, Kansas?

    Harper County has a County Distress Index score of 46.1 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,888th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 34th in Kansas out of 105 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Harper County?

    The primary driver of distress in Harper County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 68.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Harper County compare to neighboring counties?

    Harper County (46.1) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Alfalfa County, OK (52.6); Sumner County, KS (49.2); Grant County, OK (46.3).

  • 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 Harper County?

    Harper County, Kansas has a population of approximately 5,435 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.