Johnson County, Kansas

County Distress Index: Healthy · 22.3 | 622,237 people · 104th most distressed in Kansas
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Johnson County, KS ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 22.3 — 3080th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where housing costs consume a moderate share of household income. Within Kansas, it ranks 104th of 105 counties. It scores lower than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Johnson County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 54.0 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 54.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 58
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 51
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 80
Homeownership Rate 76
Rent-to-Income Ratio 5
Debt & Delinquency 23.4
Debt in Collections 11
Medical Debt 29
Student Loan Delinquency 18
Auto Loan Delinquency 13
Credit Card Delinquency 11
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 58
Employment & Wages 22.4
Unemployment Rate 30
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 18
Business Formation Rate 19
Community Vulnerability 10.6
Uninsured Rate 19
Disability Rate 2
Income & Poverty 1.2
Poverty Rate 1
Income vs. State Median 2
Child Poverty Rate 1

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Johnson County
Johnson County, KS 22.3 Healthy —
Wyandotte County, KS 69.3 Serious +46.9
Jackson County, MO 52.9 Elevated +30.6
Franklin County, KS 52.2 Elevated +29.9
Douglas County, KS 44.9 Normal +22.5
Leavenworth County, KS 41.8 Normal +19.5
Cass County, MO 37.9 Normal +15.6
Miami County, KS 34.1 Healthy +11.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Johnson County
St. Charles County, MO 22.0 Healthy -0.4
Loudoun County, VA 22.8 Healthy +0.5
Douglas County, CO 23.2 Healthy +0.9
Waukesha County, WI 21.3 Healthy -1.0
Warren County, OH 21.2 Healthy -1.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Johnson 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 Johnson 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 Johnson County, Kansas?

    Johnson County has a County Distress Index score of 22.3 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 3,080th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 104th in Kansas out of 105 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Johnson County?

    The primary driver of distress in Johnson County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 54.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Johnson County compare to neighboring counties?

    Johnson County (22.3) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Wyandotte County, KS (69.3); Jackson County, MO (52.9); Franklin County, KS (52.2).

  • 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 Johnson County?

    Johnson County, Kansas has a population of approximately 622,237 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.