Adams County, Wisconsin

County Distress Index: Elevated · 53.3 | 21,449 people · 3rd most distressed in Wisconsin
American Default Research

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Adams County, WI registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 53.3 — 1347th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Wisconsin, it ranks 3rd of 72 counties. It scores higher than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Adams County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 65.9 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 65.9
Poverty Rate 47
Income vs. State Median 88
Child Poverty Rate 63
Employment & Wages 61.6
Unemployment Rate 72
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 51
Business Formation Rate 62
Community Vulnerability 54.4
Uninsured Rate 20
Disability Rate 89
Debt & Delinquency 45.9
Debt in Collections 37
Medical Debt 69
Student Loan Delinquency 3
Auto Loan Delinquency 62
Credit Card Delinquency 51
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 54
Housing Cost Burden 39.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 31
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 41
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 80
Homeownership Rate 2
Rent-to-Income Ratio 41

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Adams County
Adams County, WI 53.3 Elevated —
Marquette County, WI 45.7 Normal -7.7
Waushara County, WI 44.0 Normal -9.3
Juneau County, WI 43.2 Normal -10.1
Wood County, WI 36.3 Normal -17.0
Sauk County, WI 35.9 Normal -17.4
Portage County, WI 29.7 Healthy -23.6
Columbia County, WI 25.3 Healthy -28.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Adams County
Knox County, IN 53.3 Elevated -0.1
Polk County, MO 53.3 Elevated -0.1
Franklin County, TX 53.3 Elevated -0.1
Wayne County, IL 53.4 Elevated +0.1
Cooke County, TX 53.4 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Adams County

Find an Attorney

State Bar of Wisconsin — Lawyer Referral and Information Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

State Bar of Wisconsin — Lawyer Referral and Information Service 608-257-4666 (Madison); 414-274-6768 (Milwaukee)

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Adams County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee 414-278-7722
Legal Action of Wisconsin 608-256-3191 (Madison); 414-278-7722 (Milwaukee)
Wisconsin Judicare 715-842-1681 (Wausau); 1-800-472-1638 (statewide)
Disability Rights Wisconsin 608-267-0214
Judicare Legal Aid (715) 842-1681

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Adams County, Wisconsin?

    Adams County has a County Distress Index score of 53.3 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,347th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 3rd in Wisconsin out of 72 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Adams County?

    The primary driver of distress in Adams County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 65.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Adams County compare to neighboring counties?

    Adams County (53.3) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Marquette County, WI (45.7); Waushara County, WI (44.0); Juneau County, WI (43.2).

  • 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 Adams County?

    Adams County, Wisconsin has a population of approximately 21,449 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.