Thomas County, Kansas

County Distress Index: Normal · 35.6 | 7,865 people · 79th most distressed in Kansas
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Thomas County, KS falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 35.6 — 2619th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where housing costs consume a moderate share of household income. Within Kansas, it ranks 79th of 105 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Thomas County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 56.6 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 56.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 92
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 92
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 56
Homeownership Rate 38
Rent-to-Income Ratio 5
Community Vulnerability 47.7
Uninsured Rate 79
Disability Rate 16
Debt & Delinquency 32.1
Debt in Collections 29
Medical Debt 85
Student Loan Delinquency 41
Auto Loan Delinquency 5
Credit Card Delinquency 10
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 23
Employment & Wages 25.5
Unemployment Rate 5
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 20
Business Formation Rate 51
Income & Poverty 16.1
Poverty Rate 16
Income vs. State Median 26
Child Poverty Rate 7

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Thomas County
Thomas County, KS 35.6 Normal —
Sherman County, KS 48.1 Normal +12.5
Decatur County, KS 45.3 Normal +9.7
Logan County, KS 41.4 Normal +5.8
Rawlins County, KS 36.4 Normal +0.8
Sheridan County, KS 29.1 Healthy -6.5
Gove County, KS 27.4 Healthy -8.2

Population Peers

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

Download Data

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

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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 Thomas County, Kansas?

    Thomas County has a County Distress Index score of 35.6 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,619th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 79th in Kansas out of 105 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Thomas County?

    The primary driver of distress in Thomas County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 56.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Thomas County compare to neighboring counties?

    Thomas County (35.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Sherman County, KS (48.1); Decatur County, KS (45.3); Logan County, KS (41.4).

  • 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 Thomas County?

    Thomas County, Kansas has a population of approximately 7,865 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.