McPherson County, Kansas

County Distress Index: Healthy · 27.3 | 30,091 people · 98th most distressed in Kansas
American Default Research

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McPherson County, KS ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 27.3 — 2973rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where housing remains relatively affordable compared to local incomes. Within Kansas, it ranks 98th 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. McPherson County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 40.6 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 40.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 41
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 45
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 73
Homeownership Rate 43
Rent-to-Income Ratio 1
Debt & Delinquency 34.8
Debt in Collections 24
Medical Debt 34
Student Loan Delinquency 93
Auto Loan Delinquency 10
Credit Card Delinquency 22
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 26
Employment & Wages 30.4
Unemployment Rate 13
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 5
Business Formation Rate 73
Community Vulnerability 21.8
Uninsured Rate 25
Disability Rate 19
Income & Poverty 9.2
Poverty Rate 9
Income vs. State Median 13
Child Poverty Rate 6

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. McPherson County
McPherson County, KS 27.3 Healthy —
Reno County, KS 50.2 Elevated +22.8
Saline County, KS 48.4 Normal +21.1
Harvey County, KS 40.8 Normal +13.5
Dickinson County, KS 40.3 Normal +13.0
Marion County, KS 37.9 Normal +10.6
Rice County, KS 36.9 Normal +9.5
Ellsworth County, KS 30.2 Healthy +2.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. McPherson County
O'Brien County, IA 27.3 Healthy -0.0
Valley County, ID 27.2 Healthy -0.1
King George County, VA 27.1 Healthy -0.3
Buchanan County, IA 27.1 Healthy -0.3
Holmes County, OH 27.1 Healthy -0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in McPherson County

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Kansas Bar Association Lawyer Referral 785-234-5696

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Kansas Legal Services 1-800-723-6953

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    McPherson County has a County Distress Index score of 27.3 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,973rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 98th in Kansas out of 105 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in McPherson County?

    The primary driver of distress in McPherson County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 40.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does McPherson County compare to neighboring counties?

    McPherson County (27.3) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Reno County, KS (50.2); Saline County, KS (48.4); Harvey County, KS (40.8).

  • 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 McPherson County?

    McPherson County, Kansas has a population of approximately 30,091 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.