Menominee County is more distressed than 96% of U.S. counties, far above any other in Wisconsin
Each state is shaded by how distressed its households are, from green (least) to red (most), with data through September 2026. Wisconsin scores 14 out of 100.
Wisconsin's card borrowers had the lowest serious late-payment rate in the nation in early 2025: 7.5% were at least 90 days behind. No state's mortgage borrowers were behind less often. Bankruptcy is the one measure near the middle, with 170.3 filings per 100,000 residents in 2025. Milwaukee County, second in the state on both poverty and distress, is more distressed than 76% of U.S. counties.
- Score
- 14/100
- Data through
- September 2026
- Edition
- October 2026
Next edition expected March 2027
How Wisconsin ranks among the states
On our index, Wisconsin ranks 44th in household distress. Its low share of people seriously behind on loans stands out: in early 2025, its card borrowers had the lowest serious late-payment rate in the nation. Bankruptcy filings were closer to the middle. Those facts sit together in the State Distress Index because it measures several kinds of strain.
What drives the score
The index ranks each measure against the other states, then combines the measures into four parts. Wisconsin’s four parts average 23. The score is a rank of that average: Wisconsin’s average is above 14% of the other states and D.C., so its score is 14. A state scoring 80 is more distressed than 80% of the others.
- Late payments7In early 2025, 7.5% of card borrowers were at least 90 days behind, against 13.5% nationwide (Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia).
- Renters’ housing costs23In 2024, 21.3% of renters spent at least half their income on housing, against 26.1% nationwide (Census Bureau).
- Jobs21Unemployment averaged 3.3% from June through August 2026, below the U.S. rate of 4.1% (Bureau of Labor Statistics).
- Collections and bankruptcy42Wisconsin’s 2025 bankruptcy rate was 170.3 filings per 100,000 people, near the U.S. rate of 166.3 (U.S. Courts).
Wisconsin beside its neighbors
Each bordering state scores higher than Wisconsin. The gap is widest with Michigan and Illinois; Iowa and Minnesota are much closer.
State Distress Index score, 0 to 100. Wisconsin’s August 2026 unemployment rate was 3.2%, the same as Iowa’s, but below Illinois’ 4.7% and Michigan’s 5.0% (Bureau of Labor Statistics).
The long view: Wisconsin’s score stayed low, then hit its minimum in 2024
Highest in this history
Wisconsin reached 38 in 2007. Even at that high point, it remained below the highest-scoring states. This quarterly history begins in 2006.
The 2024 low
The score reached 6 in the third quarter of 2024. Late payments were already a low-scoring part at the end of 2019, at 8. The jobs part was then 37.
After the chart
The historical chart ends in early 2025, at 10. Today’s figures put Wisconsin at 14, using more recent jobs and housing figures. Its jobs part is now 21; its renters’ housing-cost part is 23.
Wisconsin’s distress score reached 6 in 2024
Wisconsin’s State Distress Index score each quarter from 2006 through early 2025. The edition score uses newer inputs and is shown in the text above.
Wisconsin’s poorest and most distressed counties
Menominee County has Wisconsin’s highest poverty rate, 24.4%, and its highest distress score, 96. Milwaukee County follows on both measures, but its score is 76, well below Menominee’s. At the other end, Ozaukee has the lowest poverty rate, 5.4%, while Calumet and Ozaukee share the lowest printed distress score.
Menominee and Milwaukee stand apart from most Wisconsin counties
The map colors each county by its County Distress Index score. The lists put the same counties in rank order.
Loading the county map…
The county map could not be loaded. Every county is in the lists on this page.
Most distressed
| Rank | County | Score | Poverty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Menominee | 96 | 24.4% |
| 2 | Milwaukee | 76 | 16.8% |
| 3 | Rusk | 48 | 13.9% |
| 4 | Adams | 47 | 12.1% |
| 5 | Forest | 44 | 15.7% |
| 6 | Racine | 41 | 11.7% |
| 7 | Kenosha | 37 | 9.8% |
| 8 | Langlade | 35 | 14.3% |
| 9 | Rock | 32 | 9.9% |
| 10 | Iron | 31 | 11.9% |
Least distressed
| Rank | County | Score | Poverty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 69 | Green | 1 | 8.4% |
| 68 | Iowa | 1 | 8.7% |
| 70 | Kewaunee | 1 | 7.4% |
| 72 | Calumet | 0 | 5.8% |
| 71 | Ozaukee | 0 | 5.4% |
Ranks use unrounded scores; counties with the same printed score may rank apart. Poverty figures are 2024 Census Bureau county estimates.
Every Wisconsin county, by score
60 of 72 counties score under 30. Only Menominee reaches 80 or more. These are county scores, so they should not be read as the state score.
1 score 80–100
1 score 70–79
0 score 50–69
60 score 0–29
Jackson, Ashland, Douglas, Green Lake, Marquette, Juneau, Price, Washburn, Crawford, Marinette, Waushara, Richland, Clark, Shawano, Wood, Bayfield, Polk, Sauk, Monroe, Vernon, Waupaca, Vilas, Walworth, Winnebago, Barron, Chippewa, Dunn, Fond du Lac, Grant, La Crosse, Lincoln, Oneida, Brown, Eau Claire, Florence, Dane, Jefferson, Lafayette, Marathon, Sheboygan, Dodge, Manitowoc, Oconto, Pepin, Pierce, St. Croix, Columbia, Portage, Taylor, Trempealeau, Buffalo, Outagamie, Washington, Waukesha, Door, Green, Iowa, Kewaunee, Calumet, Ozaukee
Poverty and distress answer different questions
Menominee leads both lists. Racine County shows why the lists still need separate names: it ranks 6th in distress, while its poverty rate ranks 23rd. Kenosha also ranks higher on distress than on poverty. The County Distress Index includes jobs, late payments, collections, bankruptcy and housing costs as well as income and poverty. It does not explain what caused a county’s score.
The Menominee County Courthouse in Keshena. Menominee has Wisconsin’s highest poverty rate in the 2024 Census county estimates and its highest score on our County Distress Index.
Photo: TheCatalyst31, Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0.
Milwaukee’s different kind of scale
Milwaukee County ranks 2nd on distress and 2nd on poverty. Its population means that statewide averages can conceal a large number of people facing difficulty, even when the state’s overall rate is low.
American Default Research, County Distress Index; U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 county estimates.
Is Wisconsin expensive to live in?
Wisconsin’s typical gross rent was $1,087 a month in the Census Bureau’s 2020 to 2024 survey, below the U.S. figure of $1,413. Still, 21.3% of renters spent at least half their income on housing in 2024. That was below the U.S. share of 26.1%. Rent alone cannot describe what groceries, insurance or utilities cost.
Median gross rent, monthly
$1,087
U.S. $1,413
Census survey, 2020 to 2024
Renters spending half their income on housing
21.3%
U.S. 26.1%
Census Bureau, 2024
Wisconsin’s rent is lower than in Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota, but higher than in Iowa. The chart shows how Wisconsin’s severe renter burden has compared with the U.S. over time.
A smaller share of Wisconsin renters spent half their income on housing than U.S. renters in 2024
Renters spending at least half their income on rent and utilities, Wisconsin and U.S., 2005 to 2024. The Census Bureau did not release a comparable 2020 point.
Housing is one part of a household budget. The Census income and poverty figures below put Wisconsin’s rent figures in context.
Is Wisconsin a poor state?
The Census Bureau put Wisconsin’s 2024 poverty rate at 10.3%; the national rate was 12.1%. Its median household income was $77,557, below the national $81,604. Those statewide figures do not describe Menominee County, where poverty was 24.4%.
People in poverty
10.3%
U.S. 12.1%
2024 Census county estimates
Median household income
$77,557
U.S. $81,604
2024 Census county estimates
Children in poverty
12.2%
U.S. 15.5%
2024 Census county estimates
The state’s poverty rate has moved over time. This chart uses the Census Bureau’s yearly state estimates, which are different from its five-year county survey.
The 2024 Census poverty estimate puts Wisconsin under the national rate
Share of people below the poverty threshold, Wisconsin and U.S., yearly Census Bureau estimates from 1989 through 2024. Missing years have no published point.
FoodShare reaches a different group than the poverty count
In July 2026, 654,525 Wisconsinites received FoodShare benefits, or 11.0% of the state population. The U.S. share was 10.5% (U.S. Department of Agriculture and Census Bureau). FoodShare eligibility and the Census poverty measure use different rules. Read the national SNAP figures →
How is Wisconsin’s economy doing?
Wisconsin’s unemployment rate was 3.2% in August 2026, below the U.S. rate of 4.1% (Bureau of Labor Statistics). A year earlier, Wisconsin’s rate was 3.1%. Jobs are one part of its low distress score, but a low statewide rate does not mean every county has the same labor market.
Unemployment, August 2026
3.2%
U.S. 4.1%
Seasonally adjusted, Bureau of Labor Statistics
Income per person, 2024
$67,755
U.S. $73,204
Bureau of Economic Analysis
Population change since 2020
1.3%
Census Bureau estimates, through 2025
The monthly line below puts today’s jobless rate beside past recessions and the pandemic. It does not measure wages or the quality of a job.
Wisconsin’s unemployment rate remained below the U.S. rate in August 2026
Seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, Wisconsin and U.S., January 1990 to August 2026. No October 2025 point was published.
For the state’s latest job listings and benefit rules, see the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. The county map above shows where household distress is concentrated beyond the jobless rate.
What changed in Wisconsin in the past year
-
Oct. 1, 2026
FoodShare yearly amounts changed
Wisconsin applied the federal fiscal-year cost-of-living adjustments to FoodShare eligibility and benefits. A household’s result depends on its own circumstances.
Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Operations Memo 26-32, Sept. 16, 2026
-
Sept. 17, 2026
August jobs data showed a lower jobless rate
The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development reported an August unemployment rate of 3.2%. The state’s estimate was below the U.S. rate of 4.1%.
Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Sept. 17, 2026
-
Aug. 8, 2026
FoodShare renewals changed for some older adults
A state memo says adults subject to the federal FoodShare work requirement can no longer receive the longer certification period when their application or renewal falls under the new rule. Existing certifications follow separate transition rules.
Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Operations Memo 26-28, July 31, 2026
-
Nov. 1, 2025
The federal FoodShare work requirement reached more adults
Wisconsin says the federal expansion covers some adults without young children through age 64, with exemptions and a time limit. The state decides eligibility case by case.
Wisconsin Department of Health Services, FoodShare work requirement, revised Apr. 30, 2026
How many people in Wisconsin are behind on bills?
In early 2025, 10.8% of Wisconsinites with a credit record had a debt at least 90 days late, against 17.2% nationwide. The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia counted people, not dollars. Wisconsin was lowest among states for serious card late payments, though that measure had risen from 5.7% at the end of 2019 to 7.5% in early 2025.
Cards, auto loans, mortgages and collections do not move together. The bars compare Wisconsin with the U.S. using the same Philadelphia Fed measure and period.
The dollar measure tells a related story
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York counts the share of loan balances that are at least 90 days late. At the end of 2025, Wisconsin’s card share was 8.0%, the lowest among states, while its mortgage share was 0.5%. These dollar shares cannot be compared directly with the people shares above.
| Loan type | Wisconsin | U.S. | Wisconsin 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mortgage balances 90+ days late Wisconsin 2019 0.6% | 0.5% U.S. 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Card balances 90+ days late Wisconsin 2019 5.5% | 8.0% U.S. 12.4% | 12.4% | 5.5% |
| Auto balances 90+ days late Wisconsin 2019 2.7% | 3.6% U.S. 5.2% | 5.2% | 2.7% |
Share of balances 90 or more days late, end of 2025; 2019 column is end of 2019. Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Consumer Credit Panel / Equifax.
Behind on a mortgage? Free help in Wisconsin →
How common is bankruptcy in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin recorded 10,171 bankruptcy filings in 2025, or 170.3 per 100,000 residents. The U.S. rate was 166.3 (U.S. Courts; Census 2025 population). Wisconsin’s rate is nearer the middle of the states than its late-payment measures. A filing count cannot tell us why any particular person filed.
Filings, 2025
10,171
U.S. Courts
Filings per 100,000
170.3
U.S. 166.3
2025 population
Chapter 13 share
34.9%
U.S. 35.9%
2025 filings
Filings rose from 9,715 in 2024 to 10,171 in 2025. The national bankruptcy page shows the longer series and explains what the court categories count.
What happens in a Wisconsin foreclosure?
Wisconsin foreclosures generally go through a court. The steps and timing depend on the case, so the Wisconsin foreclosure guide explains the notices, court process and free help. This data page shows the broader household picture: in September 2025, 1.1% of mortgages were 30 to 89 days late, against 1.6% nationwide (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau).
The Federal Housing Finance Agency estimated that 2.0% of Wisconsin mortgages had less than 10% equity in the second quarter of 2026, against 4.7% nationally. Equity and lateness describe different things; neither predicts a foreclosure for an individual home.
What are Wisconsin mortgage borrowers reporting?
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has logged 4,668 Wisconsin mortgage complaints since 2012. The latest ten about payments or help with a mortgage are below. The bureau does not verify every account, and these reports do not measure how often a problem happens to all borrowers.
- Oct. 6, 2026 PenFed Credit Union Struggling to pay: an existing modification, forbearance or other relief Closed with explanation
- Oct. 2, 2026 Shellpoint / NewRez Struggling to pay: trouble reaching the company about a modification, forbearance or foreclosure Untimely response
- Oct. 1, 2026 PennyMac Struggling to pay: foreclosure Closed with explanation
- Sept. 30, 2026 21st Mortgage Payment process Closed with explanation
- Sept. 28, 2026 BMO Bank National Association Payment process: trouble reaching the company to fix a problem with the loan In progress
- Sept. 21, 2026 Carrington Mortgage Payment process In progress
- Sept. 21, 2026 Mortgage Research Center, LLC Payment process: escrow, taxes or insurance Closed with explanation
- Sept. 19, 2026 Resurgent Capital Services L.P. Struggling to pay: foreclosure Closed with explanation
- Sept. 18, 2026 Mortgage Research Center, LLC Payment process: escrow, taxes or insurance Closed with explanation
- Sept. 16, 2026 Selene Finance Payment process: trouble reaching the company to fix a problem with the loan Closed with explanation
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau complaint database. Reports are accounts from consumers, not verified findings.
What to watch before the next edition
The next state edition follows the next index release. These releases may change the jobs, income or housing picture before then.
-
Oct. 28, 2026
BLS releases September metro unemployment figures
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has scheduled the September metro report. It will show how local job markets compare after the October 2026 August state figures.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, September state release, Oct. 20, 2026
-
Nov. 20, 2026
BLS releases October state unemployment figures
The scheduled report will add another month to Wisconsin’s labor-market trend.
Where Wisconsin ranks highest and lowest
The table puts measures from different sources in one place. Each row keeps its own unit and date.
| Measure | Wisconsin | U.S. | Rank | Latest data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Card borrowers 90+ days late Lowest · Early 2025 | 7.5% U.S. 13.5% | 13.5% | Lowest | Early 2025 |
| Mortgage borrowers 90+ days late Tied for lowest · Early 2025 | 0.6% U.S. 1.2% | 1.2% | Tied for lowest | Early 2025 |
| People with any debt 90+ days late 4th lowest · Early 2025 | 10.8% U.S. 17.2% | 17.2% | 4th lowest | Early 2025 |
| Mortgage balances 90+ days late Tied for lowest · End 2025 | 0.5% U.S. 0.9% | 0.9% | Tied for lowest | End 2025 |
| Card balances 90+ days late Lowest · End 2025 | 8.0% U.S. 12.4% | 12.4% | Lowest | End 2025 |
| Unemployment rate, three-month average Tied for 11th lowest · June–August 2026 | 3.3% U.S. 4.1% | 4.1% | Tied for 11th lowest | June–August 2026 |
| Renters spending half their income on housing Tied for 9th lowest · 2024 | 21.3% U.S. 26.1% | 26.1% | Tied for 9th lowest | 2024 |
| Poverty rate Tied for 15th lowest · 2024 | 10.3% U.S. 12.1% | 12.1% | Tied for 15th lowest | 2024 |
| Median household income 28th highest · 2024 | $77,557 U.S. $81,604 | $81,604 | 28th highest | 2024 |
| Median monthly gross rent 33rd highest · 2024* | $1,087 U.S. $1,413 | $1,413 | 33rd highest | 2024* |
| Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 21st highest · 2025 | 170.3 U.S. 166.3 | 166.3 | 21st highest | 2025 |
| FoodShare participants, share of residents Tied for 19th highest · July 2026 | 11.0% U.S. 10.5% | 10.5% | Tied for 19th highest | July 2026 |
| Mortgages with less than 10% equity Tied for 6th lowest · 2026 Q2 | 2.0% U.S. 4.7% | 4.7% | Tied for 6th lowest | 2026 Q2 |
Ranks compare the 50 states and D.C.; “highest” and “lowest” refer to the value, not whether it is good. * Rent is from the Census Bureau’s 2020 to 2024 five-year survey. The Philadelphia Fed rows count people; the New York Fed rows count dollars. Download the edition table (CSV).
Questions about Wisconsin
What is Wisconsin’s poverty rate?
The Census Bureau estimated 10.3% for Wisconsin in 2024, below the U.S. rate of 12.1%. Menominee County’s rate was 24.4% in the county estimates.
Which Wisconsin county is poorest?
By the Census Bureau’s 2024 poverty rate, Menominee County is highest at 24.4%. It also has the lowest median household income in the state, $52,423.
How is Wisconsin’s economy doing?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 3.2% unemployment in August 2026, below the U.S. rate of 4.1%. That rate is a statewide average.
Is Wisconsin expensive to live in?
The Census Bureau estimated median gross rent at $1,087 a month in its 2020 to 2024 survey, below the U.S. figure of $1,413. This page does not measure all living costs.
What is Wisconsin’s State Distress Index score?
Wisconsin scores 14, the 44th most distressed state. The score means its four-part average exceeds that of 14% of the other states and D.C.
Cite or reuse Wisconsin’s data
The sources and periods for the October 2026 figures appear below.
State Distress Index
Wisconsin
44thmost distressed state
of the 50 states and D.C.
More distressed than 14% of the other states and D.C.
Wisconsin scores 14 on American Default Research’s State Distress Index. Menominee County scores 96 on the County Distress Index; 60 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties score below 30.
For a chart, source table or interview: Contact American Default Research.
Sources and method
We gather the data, run the numbers and research each state ourselves.
This edition: October 2026 · Next edition expected March 2027
- State and county distress scoresAmerican Default Research, State Distress Index methodOctober 2026 edition
- Poverty and household incomeU.S. Census Bureau, 2024 county estimates2024
- Rent and housing burdenU.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey2020 to 2024 survey; 2024 one-year survey
- Jobs and unemploymentU.S. Bureau of Labor Statisticsthrough August 2026
- Income per personU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis2024
- People late on debtsFederal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Consumer Credit Explorerfirst quarter of 2025
- Loan balances lateFederal Reserve Bank of New York, Consumer Credit Panelend of 2025
- Bankruptcy filingsAdministrative Office of the U.S. Courts, bankruptcy statistics2025
- FoodShare participantsU.S. Department of Agriculture, SNAP dataJuly 2026
- Mortgage performanceConsumer Financial Protection BureauSeptember 2025
- Mortgage equityFederal Housing Finance Agencysecond quarter of 2026
The State Distress Index compares states across late payments, collections and bankruptcy, jobs, and renters’ housing costs. It is a relative ranking, not a household forecast. Read the full method →
We write with AI tools, and Ross Kilburn checks and reviews every page before it's published.
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