Sedgwick County, Kansas

County Distress Index: Normal · 50.0 | 528,469 people · 23rd most distressed in Kansas
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Sedgwick County, KS falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 50.0 — 1603rd 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 23rd of 105 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Sedgwick County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 65.6 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 65.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 66
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 60
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 78
Homeownership Rate 90
Rent-to-Income Ratio 34
Debt & Delinquency 53.8
Debt in Collections 54
Medical Debt 34
Student Loan Delinquency 67
Auto Loan Delinquency 49
Credit Card Delinquency 51
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 68
Community Vulnerability 53.7
Uninsured Rate 70
Disability Rate 37
Income & Poverty 43.5
Poverty Rate 50
Income vs. State Median 32
Child Poverty Rate 48
Employment & Wages 33.1
Unemployment Rate 52
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 18
Business Formation Rate 29

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Sedgwick County
Sedgwick County, KS 50.0 Normal —
Cowley County, KS 55.7 Elevated +5.8
Reno County, KS 50.2 Elevated +0.2
Sumner County, KS 49.2 Normal -0.7
Kingman County, KS 42.8 Normal -7.2
Harvey County, KS 40.8 Normal -9.1
Butler County, KS 39.5 Normal -10.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Sedgwick County
Adams County, CO 49.8 Normal -0.2
Sarasota County, FL 49.5 Normal -0.4
New Castle County, DE 49.5 Normal -0.5
Berkeley County, SC 50.5 Elevated +0.5
Mercer County, NJ 49.3 Normal -0.6

Download Data

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

Find Help in Sedgwick County

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Kansas Bar Association Lawyer Referral 785-234-5696

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Sedgwick County has a County Distress Index score of 50.0 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,603rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 23rd in Kansas out of 105 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Sedgwick County?

    The primary driver of distress in Sedgwick County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 65.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Sedgwick County compare to neighboring counties?

    Sedgwick County (50.0) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Cowley County, KS (55.7); Reno County, KS (50.2); Sumner County, KS (49.2).

  • 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 Sedgwick County?

    Sedgwick County, Kansas has a population of approximately 528,469 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.