Jewell County, Kansas

County Distress Index: Normal · 45.3 | 2,847 people · 38th most distressed in Kansas
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Jewell County, KS falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 45.3 — 1960th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where unemployment is elevated, wages are low relative to housing costs, and business formation lags. Within Kansas, it ranks 38th of 105 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 6 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Jewell County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 76.1 — worse than roughly 76% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 76.1
Unemployment Rate 76
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 76
Business Formation Rate 76
Community Vulnerability 54.6
Uninsured Rate 24
Disability Rate 86
Income & Poverty 52.8
Poverty Rate 38
Income vs. State Median 73
Child Poverty Rate 47
Debt & Delinquency 27.6
Debt in Collections 13
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 41
Auto Loan Delinquency 39
Credit Card Delinquency 47
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 20
Housing Cost Burden 15.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 10
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 12
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 14
Homeownership Rate 16
Rent-to-Income Ratio 24

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Jewell County
Jewell County, KS 45.3 Normal —
Smith County, KS 45.3 Normal +0.0
Cloud County, KS 43.8 Normal -1.5
Osborne County, KS 42.0 Normal -3.2
Republic County, KS 38.3 Normal -7.0
Mitchell County, KS 37.4 Normal -7.8
Webster County, NE 36.4 Normal -8.9
Nuckolls County, NE 35.4 Normal -9.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Jewell County
Parmer County, TX 45.3 Normal -0.0
Decatur County, KS 45.3 Normal +0.0
Smith County, KS 45.3 Normal +0.0
Sullivan County, MO 45.2 Normal -0.0
Maries County, MO 45.2 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Jewell 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 Jewell 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 Jewell County, Kansas?

    Jewell County has a County Distress Index score of 45.3 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,960th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 38th in Kansas out of 105 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Jewell County?

    The primary driver of distress in Jewell County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 76.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Jewell County compare to neighboring counties?

    Jewell County (45.3) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Smith County, KS (45.3); Cloud County, KS (43.8); Osborne County, KS (42.0).

  • 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 Jewell County?

    Jewell County, Kansas has a population of approximately 2,847 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.