#2,526 Kansas · 2026

Miami County, Kansas

32.3 · low-moderate county distress 2,526th of 3,144 counties nationally · 35,320 residents How this is calculated →
The headline number
21% Miami residents
vs.
18% U.S. median

Above the national median for severe rent burden (50%+).

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023)

Main Findings

Wire lede · 34 words · paste-ready

Miami County, Kansas ranks 2,526th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. Miami sits near the national median across major distress indicators. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).

Key Findings
  • 2,526th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 32.3 · low-moderate county distress, 69th in Kansas.
  • 21% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent (U.S. median 18%). Severe rent burden (50%+) at the 72nd percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023).
  • Labor domain score 41 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
  • Default & Legal domain score 32 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
  • Delinquency domain score 23 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
County Distress Index cluster map. Miami County, Kansas and its neighbors colored by county distress score label.
Miami and its 5 geographic neighbors, graded by County Distress Index score. Miami County ranks 2,526th of 3,144. American Default Research
Wire summary — paste-ready, any angle 20 words

Miami County has a low-moderate county distress score. The CDI reading is a county comparison, separate from national ADI bands.

— American Default Research
Index note — for feature use 35 words

The CDI gives this county a low-moderate county distress label. The label comes from the score, while the rank compares the county with the current national cross-section. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).

— American Default Research

Indicator History

Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.

Updated Jul 1, 2026
BLS 1990 to 2025

Unemployment rate

3.7% -1.2 pp since 1990
Census 1989 to 2024

Poverty rate

7.2% -1.1 pp since 1989
BEA 1969 to 2024

Transfer income share

17.8% +6.4 pp since 1969
FRED/Equifax 2014 Q2 to 2025 Q4

Subprime credit population

19.0% -6.9 pp since 2014 Q2

The Indicators Behind Miami County's CDI Score

Every number traces to a public source. Miami County's value shown alongside KS's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.

How to read the table. A domain score is a 0–100 composite of the indicators in that domain; higher values represent a higher mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles. A county's domain rank is computed separately against all counties. Percentile is Miami County's national rank among all 3,144 U.S. counties for that indicator, always oriented so higher = more distressed.
Indicator Miami KS median U.S. median Pctile Source
Delinquency — domain score 23 · Rank 2,493 of 3,144
Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due 3% 4% 5% 24th Urban Institute Debt in America (2025)
Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due 3% 5% 5% 15th Urban Institute Debt in America (2025)
Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 19% 18% 23% 30th Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025)
Default & Legal — domain score 32 · Rank 2,328 of 3,144
Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections 15% 18% 23% 21st Urban Institute Debt in America (2025)
Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 113 101 126 43rd Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025)
Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 50 · Rank 1,532 of 3,144
Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income 19% 18% 21% 28th HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023)
Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent 21% 13% 18% 72nd U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023)
Labor — domain score 41 · Rank 1,779 of 3,144
Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed 4% 4% 4% 41st U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026)
Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 15 · Rank 2,900 of 3,144
Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line 8% 15% 18% 5th U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023)
Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability 13% 16% 16% 21st U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023)
Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line 7% 12% 14% 4th U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023)
Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage 6% 8% 8% 35th U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023)
Data compiled May 2026 from Urban Institute Debt in America (2025 panel), U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-yr 2023, SAIPE 2023, Business Formation Statistics 2024), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS May 2026, QCEW 2024), Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (F-5A bankruptcy filings 2025), and HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2026).

Five-Domain Breakdown

The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.

Debt Burden (housing basis) Primary driver 50
Weight 20% · Rank 1,532 of 3,144
Labor 41
Weight 20% · Rank 1,779 of 3,144
Default & Legal 32
Weight 20% · Rank 2,328 of 3,144
Delinquency 23
Weight 20% · Rank 2,493 of 3,144
Safety Net & Buffer 15
Weight 20% · Rank 2,900 of 3,144

Methodology

The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.

Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), FRED/Equifax (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2022 to 2026 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.

For Press & Research

Everything you need to cite Miami County data — in under 60 seconds.

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Press contact: Ross Kilburn · press@americandefault.org · (307) 264-2992 · same-day response, 9am–6pm ET
Draft wire copy 124-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
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PAOLA, Kan. — Miami County ranks 2,526th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.

The composite score of 32.3 out of 100 gives Miami a low-moderate county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 2,525 counties rank more distressed. Within Kansas, Miami ranks 69th of 105 counties.

The index, which draws on 13 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, finds Miami sitting near the national median across major distress indicators, with no single domain emerging as a clear driver.

American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.

Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.

— 30 —

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Miami County's CDI score, and what does it mean?

Miami County scores 32.3 out of 100 on the County Distress Index, with the score label low-moderate county distress. It ranks 2,526th of 3,144 U.S. counties and 69th of 105 Kansas counties. Higher county scores indicate more distress.

What drives Miami County's distress score?

The highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis), at a domain score of 50. Severe rent burden (50%+) ranks at the 72nd percentile nationally.

How does Miami County compare to its neighbors?

Miami County's neighbors span three CDI score labels. Highest-distress neighbor: Linn County (58.61, moderate county distress). Lowest: Johnson County (24.25, low county distress).

How is the County Distress Index calculated?

The CDI is a 0–100 composite of 13 source indicators across five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Data comes from Urban Institute, Census Bureau, BLS, U.S. Courts, HUD, and related public sources. Full methodology →
Ross Kilburn
Written by

Ross Kilburn, Founder

Founder · American Default Research · Seattle, Washington

Two decades working directly with financially distressed American households — from property preservation in 2003, to negotiating over 1,000 short sales during the Great Recession, to foreclosure defense marketing today. Author, The Ark Law Group Complete Guide to Short Sales (Auroch Press, 2013). Founded American Default Research in 2026.

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