Iowa County Distress Index
Financial distress scores for all 99 counties in Iowa, scored 0–100 across five domains. Mean score: 26.0. 1county is in the two most distressed fifths.
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-26
Iowa Snapshot
99 Counties Scored
26.0 Mean Score
24.1 Median Score
56.2 Wapello County Most Distressed
6.8 Lyon County Least Distressed
1 Second-most distressed fifth2 Middle fifth22 Second-least distressed fifth74 Least distressed fifth
Quintile Distribution Iowa County Map
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Least distressed fifth Second-least distressed fifth Middle fifth Second-most distressed fifth Most distressed fifth
All 99 Iowa counties colored by distress fifth. Hover for details; click released counties for full reports.
Most & Least Distressed
Most Distressed
Least Distressed
Score Distribution
How Iowa's 99 county scores are distributed across the 0–100 scale.
All Iowa Counties
99 counties ranked by distress score. Click column headers to sort.
| State Rank | Nat'l Rank | County | Score | Distress Fifth | Primary Driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1,249 | Wapello County | 56.2 | Second-most distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 2 | 1,441 | Des Moines County | 53.0 | Middle fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 3 | 1,836 | Black Hawk County | 45.8 | Middle fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 4 | 1,943 | Lucas County | 44.1 | Second-least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 5 | 1,999 | Appanoose County | 43.2 | Second-least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 6 | 2,009 | Pottawattamie County | 43.1 | Second-least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 7 | 2,044 | Woodbury County | 42.4 | Second-least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 8 | 2,057 | Montgomery County | 42.1 | Second-least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 9 | 2,065 | Clinton County | 41.9 | Second-least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 10 | 2,078 | Marshall County | 41.8 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 11 | 2,142 | Jefferson County | 40.5 | Second-least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 12 | 2,195 | Lee County | 39.6 | Second-least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 13 | 2,243 | Crawford County | 38.5 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 14 | 2,264 | Greene County | 38.2 | Second-least distressed fifth | Delinquency |
| 15 | 2,308 | Muscatine County | 37.3 | Second-least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 16 | 2,331 | Scott County | 36.8 | Second-least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 17 | 2,361 | Cass County | 36.2 | Second-least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 18 | 2,405 | Polk County | 35.2 | Second-least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 19 | 2,422 | Webster County | 34.9 | Second-least distressed fifth | Delinquency |
| 20 | 2,429 | Tama County | 34.7 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 21 | 2,450 | Van Buren County | 34.3 | Second-least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 22 | 2,458 | Monona County | 34.1 | Second-least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 23 | 2,459 | Decatur County | 34.1 | Second-least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 24 | 2,477 | Union County | 33.6 | Second-least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 25 | 2,515 | Harrison County | 32.6 | Second-least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 26 | 2,521 | Page County | 32.5 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 27 | 2,555 | Emmet County | 31.9 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 28 | 2,570 | Keokuk County | 31.6 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 29 | 2,594 | Monroe County | 31.0 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 30 | 2,618 | Henry County | 30.6 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 31 | 2,622 | Poweshiek County | 30.4 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 32 | 2,629 | Linn County | 30.4 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 33 | 2,635 | Fayette County | 30.3 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 34 | 2,640 | Jasper County | 30.1 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 35 | 2,660 | Audubon County | 29.7 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 36 | 2,700 | Clarke County | 28.4 | Least distressed fifth | Delinquency |
| 37 | 2,744 | Wayne County | 27.3 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 38 | 2,751 | Adams County | 27.1 | Least distressed fifth | Delinquency |
| 39 | 2,753 | Hardin County | 27.0 | Least distressed fifth | Delinquency |
| 40 | 2,767 | Mills County | 26.7 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 41 | 2,779 | Louisa County | 26.3 | Least distressed fifth | Delinquency |
| 42 | 2,783 | Allamakee County | 26.2 | Least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 43 | 2,786 | Adair County | 26.1 | Least distressed fifth | Delinquency |
| 44 | 2,798 | Dubuque County | 25.8 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 45 | 2,802 | Buena Vista County | 25.7 | Least distressed fifth | Delinquency |
| 46 | 2,818 | Wright County | 25.2 | Least distressed fifth | Delinquency |
| 47 | 2,822 | Pocahontas County | 25.1 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 48 | 2,829 | Guthrie County | 24.9 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 49 | 2,854 | Floyd County | 24.2 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 50 | 2,855 | Cerro Gordo County | 24.1 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 51 | 2,857 | Cherokee County | 24.1 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 52 | 2,885 | Taylor County | 23.3 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 53 | 2,899 | Story County | 22.9 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 54 | 2,901 | Johnson County | 22.9 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 55 | 2,902 | Fremont County | 22.8 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 56 | 2,918 | Jackson County | 22.4 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 57 | 2,920 | Winnebago County | 22.4 | Least distressed fifth | Delinquency |
| 58 | 2,924 | Hamilton County | 22.2 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 59 | 2,925 | Franklin County | 22.2 | Least distressed fifth | Delinquency |
| 60 | 2,926 | Ringgold County | 22.2 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 61 | 2,927 | Clayton County | 22.1 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 62 | 2,936 | Jones County | 21.8 | Least distressed fifth | Delinquency |
| 63 | 2,941 | O'Brien County | 21.7 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 64 | 2,944 | Clay County | 21.7 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 65 | 2,956 | Cedar County | 20.9 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 66 | 2,966 | Shelby County | 20.6 | Least distressed fifth | Delinquency |
| 67 | 2,970 | Hancock County | 20.5 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 68 | 2,976 | Humboldt County | 20.3 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 69 | 2,978 | Iowa County | 20.2 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 70 | 2,982 | Marion County | 19.9 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 71 | 2,986 | Kossuth County | 19.8 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 72 | 2,987 | Calhoun County | 19.8 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 73 | 2,991 | Mahaska County | 19.7 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 74 | 3,000 | Madison County | 19.4 | Least distressed fifth | Delinquency |
| 75 | 3,008 | Warren County | 18.6 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 76 | 3,016 | Osceola County | 18.3 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 77 | 3,025 | Delaware County | 17.9 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 78 | 3,027 | Worth County | 17.7 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 79 | 3,031 | Davis County | 17.5 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 80 | 3,035 | Benton County | 17.4 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 81 | 3,039 | Washington County | 16.9 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 82 | 3,040 | Butler County | 16.8 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 83 | 3,041 | Boone County | 16.8 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 84 | 3,044 | Palo Alto County | 16.5 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 85 | 3,059 | Ida County | 15.7 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 86 | 3,063 | Dickinson County | 15.5 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 87 | 3,069 | Dallas County | 15.4 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 88 | 3,075 | Buchanan County | 15.3 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 89 | 3,076 | Plymouth County | 15.2 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 90 | 3,082 | Sac County | 14.6 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 91 | 3,088 | Carroll County | 14.2 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 92 | 3,101 | Chickasaw County | 13.4 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 93 | 3,109 | Mitchell County | 12.9 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 94 | 3,113 | Grundy County | 12.7 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 95 | 3,117 | Bremer County | 12.3 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 96 | 3,120 | Howard County | 11.8 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 97 | 3,136 | Sioux County | 9.1 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 98 | 3,141 | Winneshiek County | 7.8 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 99 | 3,142 | Lyon County | 6.8 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
How County Scores Work
Each county is scored 0–100 using five equal-weighted domains. Each domain averages its member indicators' county ranks, and the composite is the mean of those domain scores. Higher scores indicate greater household financial distress.
Most distressed fifth — 0 Iowa counties
Second-most distressed fifth — 1 Iowa county
Middle fifth — 2 Iowa counties
Second-least distressed fifth — 22 Iowa counties
Least distressed fifth — 74 Iowa counties