Ashland County, Wisconsin

County Distress Index: Normal · 49.5 | 16,079 people · 7th most distressed in Wisconsin
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Ashland County, WI falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 49.5 — 1627th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where income and poverty levels indicate moderate economic strain. Within Wisconsin, it ranks 7th of 72 counties. Among its 8 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Ashland County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 64.8 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 64.8
Poverty Rate 55
Income vs. State Median 95
Child Poverty Rate 45
Housing Cost Burden 48.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 29
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 22
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 70
Homeownership Rate 60
Rent-to-Income Ratio 62
Debt & Delinquency 46.3
Debt in Collections 39
Medical Debt 77
Student Loan Delinquency 83
Auto Loan Delinquency 18
Credit Card Delinquency 39
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 22
Employment & Wages 46.1
Unemployment Rate 49
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 34
Business Formation Rate 55
Community Vulnerability 42.0
Uninsured Rate 34
Disability Rate 50

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Ashland County compares to its 8 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Ashland County
Ashland County, WI 49.5 Normal —
Gogebic County, MI 58.1 Elevated +8.5
Ontonagon County, MI 53.6 Elevated +4.1
Iron County, WI 50.6 Elevated +1.1
Sawyer County, WI 47.3 Normal -2.3
Price County, WI 44.7 Normal -4.9
Bayfield County, WI 42.2 Normal -7.3
Lake County, MN 41.9 Normal -7.6
Cook County, MN 36.5 Normal -13.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Ashland County
Lawrence County, MO 49.5 Normal +0.0
Yancey County, NC 49.6 Normal +0.0
Hancock County, MS 49.6 Normal +0.1
Henry County, IN 49.5 Normal -0.1
Jefferson Davis Parish, LA 49.6 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Ashland 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 Ashland 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 Ashland County, Wisconsin?

    Ashland County has a County Distress Index score of 49.5 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,627th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 7th in Wisconsin out of 72 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Ashland County?

    The primary driver of distress in Ashland County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 64.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Ashland County compare to neighboring counties?

    Ashland County (49.5) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Gogebic County, MI (58.1); Ontonagon County, MI (53.6); Iron County, WI (50.6).

  • 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 Ashland County?

    Ashland County, Wisconsin has a population of approximately 16,079 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.