Buchanan County, Iowa
Below the national median for bankruptcy filing rate — and 13.9× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Glacier County, MT — 7).
Main Findings
Buchanan County, Iowa ranks 3,044th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. Buchanan sits near the national median across major distress indicators. Its highest-scoring domain is Default & Legal.
- 3,044th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 16.4 · very low county distress, 85th in Iowa.
- A bankruptcy filing rate of 102 (U.S. median 126). Bankruptcy filing rate at the 37th percentile nationally. Source: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025).
- Safety Net & Buffer domain score 18 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
- Labor domain score 16 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
- Delinquency domain score 13 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
Buchanan County has a very low county distress score. The rank and domain mix show where the county still sits in the national cross-section.
The CDI gives this county a very low county distress label. The rank is still reported because low score intensity and relative position are different measures. Its highest-scoring domain is Default & Legal.
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Buchanan County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Buchanan County's value shown alongside IA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Buchanan | IA median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 13 · Rank 2,891 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 2% | 3% | 5% | 4th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 4% | 4% | 5% | 23rd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 15% | 17% | 23% | 11th | Equifax data retrieved via FRED (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 26 · Rank 2,567 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 14% | 17% | 23% | 14th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 102 | 101 | 126 | 37th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 9 · Rank 3,052 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 14% | 17% | 21% | 1st | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 12% | 17% | 18% | 18th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 16 · Rank 2,606 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 3% | 3% | 4% | 16th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 18 · Rank 2,804 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 12% | 14% | 18% | 21st | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 12% | 14% | 16% | 16th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 9% | 10% | 14% | 12th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 6% | 5% | 8% | 28th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (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), Equifax data retrieved via FRED (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2022 to 2026 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Buchanan County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 125-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
INDEPENDENCE, Iowa — Buchanan County ranks 3,044th 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 16.4 out of 100 gives Buchanan a very low county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 3,043 counties rank more distressed. Within Iowa, Buchanan ranks 85th of 99 counties.
The index, which draws on 13 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, finds Buchanan sitting near the national median across major distress indicators, with no single domain emerging as a clear driver.
American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Buchanan County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Buchanan County's distress score?
How does Buchanan County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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