Rusk County, Wisconsin

County Distress Index: Elevated · 52.0 | 14,143 people · 4th most distressed in Wisconsin
American Default Research

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Rusk County, WI registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 52.0 — 1454th 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 4th of 72 counties. It scores higher than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Rusk County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 67.3 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 67.3
Poverty Rate 51
Income vs. State Median 87
Child Poverty Rate 64
Employment & Wages 66.6
Unemployment Rate 72
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 53
Business Formation Rate 75
Community Vulnerability 48.3
Uninsured Rate 34
Disability Rate 63
Housing Cost Burden 44.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 35
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 64
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 49
Homeownership Rate 33
Rent-to-Income Ratio 39
Debt & Delinquency 33.9
Debt in Collections 23
Medical Debt 36
Student Loan Delinquency 21
Auto Loan Delinquency 35
Credit Card Delinquency 24
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 64

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Rusk County
Rusk County, WI 52.0 Elevated —
Sawyer County, WI 47.3 Normal -4.8
Price County, WI 44.7 Normal -7.4
Washburn County, WI 43.9 Normal -8.1
Taylor County, WI 40.5 Normal -11.5
Barron County, WI 38.3 Normal -13.7
Chippewa County, WI 31.3 Healthy -20.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Rusk County
Iberville Parish, LA 52.0 Elevated +0.0
Lincoln County, TN 52.1 Elevated +0.1
Cass County, IN 51.9 Elevated -0.1
Overton County, TN 52.1 Elevated +0.1
Union County, IL 52.2 Elevated +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Rusk 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 Rusk 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 Rusk County, Wisconsin?

    Rusk County has a County Distress Index score of 52.0 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,454th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 4th in Wisconsin out of 72 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Rusk County?

    The primary driver of distress in Rusk County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 67.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Rusk County compare to neighboring counties?

    Rusk County (52.0) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Sawyer County, WI (47.3); Price County, WI (44.7); Washburn County, WI (43.9).

  • 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 Rusk County?

    Rusk County, Wisconsin has a population of approximately 14,143 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.