Forest County, Wisconsin

County Distress Index: Elevated · 50.8 | 9,325 people · 5th most distressed in Wisconsin
American Default Research

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Forest County, WI registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 50.8 — 1530th 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 5th of 72 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 6 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Forest County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 72.1 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 72.1
Poverty Rate 67
Income vs. State Median 85
Child Poverty Rate 65
Community Vulnerability 58.6
Uninsured Rate 50
Disability Rate 68
Employment & Wages 57.9
Unemployment Rate 64
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 56
Business Formation Rate 54
Debt & Delinquency 35.3
Debt in Collections 31
Medical Debt 85
Student Loan Delinquency 21
Auto Loan Delinquency 15
Credit Card Delinquency 14
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 46
Housing Cost Burden 30.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 10
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 22
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 73
Homeownership Rate 9
Rent-to-Income Ratio 36

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Forest County
Forest County, WI 50.8 Elevated —
Iron County, MI 61.5 Elevated +10.7
Langlade County, WI 44.3 Normal -6.5
Florence County, WI 38.9 Normal -11.9
Marinette County, WI 37.8 Normal -13.0
Vilas County, WI 35.8 Normal -15.0
Oneida County, WI 32.2 Healthy -18.6
Oconto County, WI 30.9 Healthy -19.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Forest County
Pope County, IL 50.8 Elevated 0.0
Charles City County, VA 50.7 Elevated -0.1
Iron County, WI 50.6 Elevated -0.1
Clark County, ID 50.6 Elevated -0.2
Bailey County, TX 50.6 Elevated -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Forest 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 Forest 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 Forest County, Wisconsin?

    Forest County has a County Distress Index score of 50.8 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,530th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 5th in Wisconsin out of 72 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Forest County?

    The primary driver of distress in Forest County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 72.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Forest County compare to neighboring counties?

    Forest County (50.8) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Iron County, MI (61.5); Langlade County, WI (44.3); Florence County, WI (38.9).

  • 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 Forest County?

    Forest County, Wisconsin has a population of approximately 9,325 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.