Saline County, Kansas

County Distress Index: Normal · 48.4 | 53,098 people · 26th most distressed in Kansas
American Default Research

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

Saline County, KS falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 48.4 — 1713th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Kansas, it ranks 26th of 105 counties. It scores higher than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Saline County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 67.1 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 67.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 67
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 81
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 79
Homeownership Rate 80
Rent-to-Income Ratio 28
Community Vulnerability 54.6
Uninsured Rate 65
Disability Rate 44
Debt & Delinquency 47.2
Debt in Collections 47
Medical Debt 35
Student Loan Delinquency 75
Auto Loan Delinquency 37
Credit Card Delinquency 31
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 58
Employment & Wages 37.2
Unemployment Rate 16
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 40
Business Formation Rate 56
Income & Poverty 35.9
Poverty Rate 33
Income vs. State Median 45
Child Poverty Rate 29

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Saline County
Saline County, KS 48.4 Normal —
Lincoln County, KS 44.2 Normal -4.2
Dickinson County, KS 40.3 Normal -8.1
Marion County, KS 37.9 Normal -10.5
Ottawa County, KS 35.6 Normal -12.8
Ellsworth County, KS 30.2 Healthy -18.2
McPherson County, KS 27.3 Healthy -21.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Saline County
Lapeer County, MI 48.4 Normal 0.0
Bannock County, ID 48.4 Normal -0.0
Kennebec County, ME 48.4 Normal +0.0
Warren County, NY 48.4 Normal -0.0
Cecil County, MD 48.4 Normal +0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Saline 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 Saline 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 Saline County, Kansas?

    Saline County has a County Distress Index score of 48.4 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,713th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 26th in Kansas out of 105 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Saline County?

    The primary driver of distress in Saline County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 67.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Saline County compare to neighboring counties?

    Saline County (48.4) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Lincoln County, KS (44.2); Dickinson County, KS (40.3); Marion County, KS (37.9).

  • 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 Saline County?

    Saline County, Kansas has a population of approximately 53,098 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.