Sumner County, Kansas

County Distress Index: Normal · 49.2 | 22,334 people · 25th most distressed in Kansas
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Sumner County, KS falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 49.2 — 1658th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where unemployment is elevated, wages are low relative to housing costs, and business formation lags. Within Kansas, it ranks 25th of 105 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Sumner County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 69.7 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 69.7
Unemployment Rate 45
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 76
Business Formation Rate 87
Community Vulnerability 61.4
Uninsured Rate 57
Disability Rate 66
Housing Cost Burden 43.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 45
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 16
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 63
Homeownership Rate 50
Rent-to-Income Ratio 42
Debt & Delinquency 36.9
Debt in Collections 34
Medical Debt 20
Student Loan Delinquency 11
Auto Loan Delinquency 51
Credit Card Delinquency 64
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 42
Income & Poverty 35.0
Poverty Rate 31
Income vs. State Median 47
Child Poverty Rate 27

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Sumner County
Sumner County, KS 49.2 Normal —
Kay County, OK 65.1 Serious +15.9
Cowley County, KS 55.7 Elevated +6.5
Sedgwick County, KS 50.0 Normal +0.7
Grant County, OK 46.3 Normal -3.0
Harper County, KS 46.1 Normal -3.1
Kingman County, KS 42.8 Normal -6.4
Butler County, KS 39.5 Normal -9.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Sumner County
Williams County, OH 49.2 Normal +0.0
Cleburne County, AL 49.3 Normal +0.0
Carroll County, KY 49.3 Normal +0.0
Wetzel County, WV 49.3 Normal +0.0
Burnett County, WI 49.2 Normal -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Sumner 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 Sumner County, Kansas?

    Sumner County has a County Distress Index score of 49.2 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,658th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 25th in Kansas out of 105 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Sumner County?

    The primary driver of distress in Sumner County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 69.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Sumner County compare to neighboring counties?

    Sumner County (49.2) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Kay County, OK (65.1); Cowley County, KS (55.7); Sedgwick County, KS (50.0).

  • 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 Sumner County?

    Sumner County, Kansas has a population of approximately 22,334 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.