Sawyer County, Wisconsin

County Distress Index: Normal · 47.3 | 18,552 people · 11th most distressed in Wisconsin
American Default Research

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Sawyer County, WI falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 47.2 — 1810th 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 11th of 72 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

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

Income & Poverty Primary driver 67.3
Poverty Rate 61
Income vs. State Median 85
Child Poverty Rate 55
Employment & Wages 54.0
Unemployment Rate 61
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 59
Business Formation Rate 42
Community Vulnerability 44.7
Uninsured Rate 34
Disability Rate 56
Housing Cost Burden 38.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 33
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 18
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 56
Homeownership Rate 33
Rent-to-Income Ratio 53
Debt & Delinquency 31.8
Debt in Collections 25
Medical Debt 67
Student Loan Delinquency 12
Auto Loan Delinquency 55
Credit Card Delinquency 15
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 17

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Sawyer County
Sawyer County, WI 47.3 Normal —
Rusk County, WI 52.0 Elevated +4.8
Ashland County, WI 49.5 Normal +2.3
Price County, WI 44.7 Normal -2.6
Washburn County, WI 43.9 Normal -3.3
Bayfield County, WI 42.2 Normal -5.1
Douglas County, WI 42.0 Normal -5.3
Barron County, WI 38.3 Normal -8.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Sawyer County
Dinwiddie County, VA 47.3 Normal +0.0
Clay County, IL 47.3 Normal +0.0
Red Willow County, NE 47.3 Normal +0.1
Grant County, WV 47.2 Normal -0.1
Amelia County, VA 47.1 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Sawyer 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 Sawyer 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 Sawyer County, Wisconsin?

    Sawyer County has a County Distress Index score of 47.3 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,810th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 11th in Wisconsin out of 72 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Sawyer County?

    The primary driver of distress in Sawyer 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 Sawyer County compare to neighboring counties?

    Sawyer County (47.3) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Rusk County, WI (52.0); Ashland County, WI (49.5); Price County, WI (44.7).

  • 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 Sawyer County?

    Sawyer County, Wisconsin has a population of approximately 18,552 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.