Richland County, Wisconsin

County Distress Index: Normal · 41.9 | 17,197 people · 26th most distressed in Wisconsin
American Default Research

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Richland County, WI falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 41.9 — 2223rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where income and poverty levels indicate moderate economic strain. Within Wisconsin, it ranks 26th of 72 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Richland County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 56.2 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 56.2
Poverty Rate 46
Income vs. State Median 82
Child Poverty Rate 41
Employment & Wages 52.7
Unemployment Rate 34
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 50
Business Formation Rate 74
Community Vulnerability 43.4
Uninsured Rate 51
Disability Rate 35
Housing Cost Burden 34.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 21
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 19
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 63
Homeownership Rate 38
Rent-to-Income Ratio 31
Debt & Delinquency 22.4
Debt in Collections 14
Medical Debt 22
Student Loan Delinquency 5
Auto Loan Delinquency 23
Credit Card Delinquency 22
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 48

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Richland County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Richland County
Richland County, WI 41.9 Normal —
Crawford County, WI 43.6 Normal +1.8
Grant County, WI 39.2 Normal -2.6
Vernon County, WI 38.5 Normal -3.3
Sauk County, WI 35.9 Normal -5.9
Iowa County, WI 20.8 Healthy -21.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Richland County
Hood River County, OR 41.8 Normal -0.0
Lake County, MN 41.9 Normal +0.0
Douglas County, WI 42.0 Normal +0.1
Marion County, MO 41.7 Normal -0.1
Camden County, MO 41.7 Normal -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Richland 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 Richland 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 Richland County, Wisconsin?

    Richland County has a County Distress Index score of 41.9 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,223rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 26th in Wisconsin out of 72 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Richland County?

    The primary driver of distress in Richland County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 56.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Richland County compare to neighboring counties?

    Richland County (41.9) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Crawford County, WI (43.6); Grant County, WI (39.2); Vernon County, WI (38.5).

  • 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 Richland County?

    Richland County, Wisconsin has a population of approximately 17,197 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.