#3,031 Iowa · 2026

Davis County, Iowa

Least distressed fifth 3,031st of 3,144 counties nationally · 9,169 residents How this is calculated →
The headline number
28% Davis residents
vs.
8% U.S. median

4× the national median for uninsured rate.

Census ACS 5-yr (2023)

Main Findings

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Davis County, Iowa ranks 3,031st most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. Davis sits near the national median across major distress indicators.

Key Findings
  • 3,031st of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Least distressed fifth, 79th in Iowa.
  • 28% of residents lack health insurance (U.S. median 8%). Uninsured rate at the 95th percentile nationally.
  • Debt Burden (housing basis) domain score 18 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite.
  • Default & Legal domain score 14 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite.
  • Delinquency domain score 11 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite.
County Distress Index cluster map. Davis County, Iowa and its neighbors colored by distress fifth.
Davis and its 5 geographic neighbors, graded by County Distress Index score. Davis County ranks 3,031st of 3,144. American Default Research
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"Davis County ranks in the least distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The CDI reading is a county comparison, separate from national ADI bands."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research
Analyst quote — for feature use 25 words

"The CDI places this county in the least distressed fifth nationally. The rank is a comparative geography measure across counties, not a national ADI band."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research

The Indicators Behind Davis County's CDI Score

Every number traces to a public source. Davis County's value shown alongside IA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.

How to read the table. A domain score is a 0–100 composite of the indicators in that domain, where 50 = U.S. county median and higher = more distressed. Percentile is Davis County's national rank among all 3,144 U.S. counties for that indicator, always oriented so higher = more distressed.
Indicator Davis IA median U.S. median Pctile Source
Delinquency — domain score 11 · Rank 2,977 of 3,144
Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due 0% 3% 5% 5th Urban Institute (2024)
Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due 2% 4% 5% 5th Urban Institute (2024)
Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 17% 17% 23% 22nd Urban Institute (2024)
Default & Legal — domain score 14 · Rank 2,924 of 3,144
Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections 11% 17% 23% 6th Urban Institute (2024)
Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 76 101 126 23rd US Courts F-5A (2025)
Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 18 · Rank 2,829 of 3,144
Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income 19% 17% 21% 27th HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024)
Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent 9% 17% 18% 10th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Labor — domain score 8 · Rank 2,875 of 3,144
Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed 2% 2% 4% 8th BLS LAUS (Dec 2025)
Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 36 · Rank 2,142 of 3,144
Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line 16% 14% 18% 38th Census SAIPE (2023)
Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability 11% 14% 16% 8th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line 12% 10% 14% 34th Census SAIPE (2023)
Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers 21% 23% 27% 25th BEA Regional Personal Income (2023)
Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage 28% 5% 8% 95th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Data compiled April 2026 from Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax 2024 panel), U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-yr 2023, SAIPE 2023, Business Formation Statistics 2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS Dec 2025, QCEW 2024), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings 2025), and HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2024).

Five-Domain Breakdown

The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.

Safety Net & Buffer Primary driver 36
Weight 20% · Rank 2,142 of 3,144
Debt Burden (housing basis) 18
Weight 20% · Rank 2,829 of 3,144
Default & Legal 14
Weight 20% · Rank 2,924 of 3,144
Delinquency 11
Weight 20% · Rank 2,977 of 3,144
Labor 8
Weight 20% · Rank 2,875 of 3,144

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 Davis County data — in under 60 seconds.

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Press contact: Ross Kilburn · press@americandefault.org · (307) 264-2992 · same-day response, 9am–6pm ET
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BLOOMFIELD, Iowa — Davis County ranks 3,031st 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 18 out of 100 places Davis in the least distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 3,030 counties rank more distressed. Within Iowa, Davis ranks 79th of 99 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 Davis sitting near the national median across major distress indicators, with no single domain emerging as a clear driver.

"Davis County ranks in the least distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The CDI reading is a county comparison, separate from national ADI bands," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.

Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Davis County's CDI score, and what does it mean?

Davis County scores 18 out of 100 on the County Distress Index, placing it in the least distressed fifth. It ranks 3,031st of 3,144 U.S. counties and 79th of 99 Iowa counties. Higher county scores indicate more distress.

What drives Davis County's distress score?

The highest-scoring domain is Safety Net & Buffer, at a domain score of 36. Uninsured rate ranks at the 95th percentile nationally.

How does Davis County compare to its neighbors?

Davis County's neighbors span three CDI distress fifths. Highest-distress neighbor: Wapello County (56.24, Second-most distressed fifth). Lowest: Scotland County, MO (27.03, Least distressed fifth).

How is the County Distress Index calculated?

The CDI is a 0–100 composite of 16 source indicators across five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Data comes from Urban Institute, Census Bureau, BLS, U.S. Courts, HUD, and related public sources. Full methodology →
Ross Kilburn
Written by

Ross Kilburn, Founder

Founder · American Default Research · Seattle, Washington

Two decades working directly with financially distressed American households — from property preservation in 2003, to negotiating over 1,000 short sales during the Great Recession, to foreclosure defense marketing today. Author, The Ark Law Group Complete Guide to Short Sales (Auroch Press, 2013). Founded American Default Research in 2026.

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