Kiowa County, Colorado
Near the national median for bankruptcy filing rate — and 19.8× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Glacier County, MT — 7).
Main Findings
Kiowa County, Colorado ranks 2,309th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. Kiowa sits near the national median across major distress indicators.
- 2,309th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Second-least distressed fifth, 32nd in Colorado.
- A bankruptcy filing rate of 144 (U.S. median 126). Bankruptcy filing rate at the 58th percentile nationally.
- Child poverty rate at 18% — national median 18%, ranked at the 52nd percentile.
- Rent-to-income ratio at 25% — national median 21%, ranked at the 79th percentile.
- Delinquency domain score 32 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite.
Neighbors span four CDI distress fifths. The 44-point drop to Greeley County, KS marks a cross-border distress gradient.
"Kiowa County ranks in the second-least distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The state rank and domain mix give the county-level context."
"The CDI places this county in the second-least distressed fifth nationally. The rank still belongs in context with state position and the highest-scoring local domain."
The Indicators Behind Kiowa County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Kiowa County's value shown alongside CO's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Kiowa | CO median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 32 · Rank 2,186 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 3% | 3% | 5% | 22nd | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 4% | 4% | 5% | 32nd | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 22% | 19% | 23% | 41st | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 52 · Rank 1,450 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 22% | 15% | 23% | 46th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 144 | 113 | 126 | 58th | US Courts F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 47 · Rank 1,679 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 25% | 23% | 21% | 79th | HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 11% | 20% | 18% | 15th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 7 · Rank 2,918 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 2% | 3% | 4% | 7th | BLS LAUS (Dec 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 49 · Rank 1,612 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 18% | 16% | 18% | 52nd | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 11% | 12% | 16% | 10th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 14% | 11% | 14% | 50th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers | 24% | 22% | 27% | 35th | BEA Regional Personal Income (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 7% | 8% | 8% | 40th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Business Formation Statistics), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2023 to 2025 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Kiowa County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 141-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
EADS, Colo. — Kiowa County ranks 2,309th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 37 out of 100 places Kiowa in the second-least distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 2,308 counties rank more distressed. Within Colorado, Kiowa ranks 32nd of 64 counties.
The index, which draws on 16 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, finds Kiowa sitting near the national median across major distress indicators, with no single domain emerging as a clear driver.
"Kiowa County ranks in the second-least distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The state rank and domain mix give the county-level context," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Kiowa County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Kiowa County's distress score?
How does Kiowa County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Kiowa County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →