Chippewa County, Wisconsin

County Distress Index: Healthy · 31.3 | 66,970 people · 55th most distressed in Wisconsin
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Chippewa County, WI ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 31.3 — 2841st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Wisconsin, it ranks 55th of 72 counties. It scores lower than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Chippewa County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 59.5 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 59.5
Unemployment Rate 49
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 63
Business Formation Rate 66
Housing Cost Burden 45.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 53
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 40
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 61
Homeownership Rate 49
Rent-to-Income Ratio 23
Debt & Delinquency 20.1
Debt in Collections 8
Medical Debt 28
Student Loan Delinquency 35
Auto Loan Delinquency 8
Credit Card Delinquency 4
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 38
Income & Poverty 19.1
Poverty Rate 13
Income vs. State Median 30
Child Poverty Rate 15
Community Vulnerability 12.8
Uninsured Rate 14
Disability Rate 11

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Chippewa County
Chippewa County, WI 31.3 Healthy —
Rusk County, WI 52.0 Elevated +20.7
Taylor County, WI 40.5 Normal +9.2
Clark County, WI 39.5 Normal +8.2
Barron County, WI 38.3 Normal +7.0
Dunn County, WI 35.9 Normal +4.6
Eau Claire County, WI 34.7 Healthy +3.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Chippewa County
Jefferson County, WI 31.4 Healthy +0.1
Dubuque County, IA 31.5 Healthy +0.2
Sherburne County, MN 31.1 Healthy -0.3
Linn County, IA 31.7 Healthy +0.4
Queen Anne's County, MD 31.7 Healthy +0.4

Download Data

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

Find Help in Chippewa 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 Chippewa 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.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Wisconsin →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Chippewa County has a County Distress Index score of 31.3 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,841st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 55th in Wisconsin out of 72 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Chippewa County?

    The primary driver of distress in Chippewa County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 59.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Chippewa County compare to neighboring counties?

    Chippewa County (31.3) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Rusk County, WI (52.0); Taylor County, WI (40.5); Clark County, WI (39.5).

  • 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 Chippewa County?

    Chippewa County, Wisconsin has a population of approximately 66,970 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.