Ottawa County, Kansas

County Distress Index: Normal · 35.6 | 5,818 people · 80th most distressed in Kansas
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Ottawa County, KS falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 35.6 — 2620th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where debt and delinquency levels sit above the national average. Within Kansas, it ranks 80th of 105 counties. It scores lower than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Ottawa County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 47.9 — above the national median.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 47.9
Debt in Collections 43
Medical Debt 18
Student Loan Delinquency 41
Auto Loan Delinquency 50
Credit Card Delinquency 81
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 55
Employment & Wages 44.9
Unemployment Rate 13
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 73
Business Formation Rate 49
Housing Cost Burden 31.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 20
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 55
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 44
Homeownership Rate 29
Rent-to-Income Ratio 10
Community Vulnerability 29.7
Uninsured Rate 31
Disability Rate 28
Income & Poverty 23.7
Poverty Rate 22
Income vs. State Median 33
Child Poverty Rate 16

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Ottawa County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Ottawa County
Ottawa County, KS 35.6 Normal —
Saline County, KS 48.4 Normal +12.8
Clay County, KS 44.8 Normal +9.2
Lincoln County, KS 44.2 Normal +8.6
Cloud County, KS 43.8 Normal +8.2
Dickinson County, KS 40.3 Normal +4.7
Mitchell County, KS 37.4 Normal +1.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Ottawa County
Thomas County, KS 35.6 Normal +0.0
Bland County, VA 35.5 Normal -0.1
Slope County, ND 35.5 Normal -0.1
Carson County, TX 35.7 Normal +0.1
Gilliam County, OR 35.8 Normal +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Ottawa County

Find an Attorney

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 Ottawa County residents at no cost.

Kansas Legal Services 1-800-723-6953

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Kansas →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Ottawa County has a County Distress Index score of 35.6 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,620th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 80th in Kansas out of 105 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Ottawa County?

    The primary driver of distress in Ottawa County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 47.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Ottawa County compare to neighboring counties?

    Ottawa County (35.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Saline County, KS (48.4); Clay County, KS (44.8); Lincoln County, KS (44.2).

  • 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 Ottawa County?

    Ottawa County, Kansas has a population of approximately 5,818 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.