Des Moines County, Iowa
Above the national median for severe rent burden (50%+).
Main Findings
Des Moines County, Iowa ranks 1,338th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 32% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent — above the national median of 18%. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).
- 1,338th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 54.7 · moderate county distress, 2nd in Iowa.
- 32% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent (U.S. median 18%). Severe rent burden (50%+) at the 99th percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023).
- Bankruptcy filing rate at 167 — national median 126, ranked at the 66th percentile. Source: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025).
- Auto loan delinquency at 7% — national median 5%, ranked at the 69th percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Child poverty rate at 21% — national median 18%, ranked at the 65th percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
Des Moines County has a moderate county distress score. The county sits near the middle of the CDI score scale, so the domain mix carries the story.
The CDI gives this county a moderate county distress label. The domain mix matters because the same composite score can come from very different local conditions. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023), Des Moines County's uninsured rate indicator is at the 8th percentile. American Default Research's CDI places every other indicator in the Safety Net & Buffer domain at or above the 56th percentile. The gap stands out against the other credit indicators. Worth a call to the source agency or a local subject-matter contact in Burlington.
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 Des Moines County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Des Moines County's value shown alongside IA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Des Moines | IA median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 56 · Rank 1,335 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 7% | 3% | 5% | 69th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 6% | 4% | 5% | 53rd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 23% | 17% | 23% | 47th | Equifax data retrieved via FRED (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 61 · Rank 1,076 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 25% | 17% | 23% | 56th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 167 | 101 | 126 | 66th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 74 · Rank 578 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 21% | 17% | 21% | 50th | 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 | 32% | 17% | 18% | 99th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 34 · Rank 2,026 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 3% | 3% | 4% | 34th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 48 · Rank 1,636 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 21% | 14% | 18% | 65th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 16% | 14% | 16% | 56th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 14% | 10% | 14% | 56th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 4% | 5% | 8% | 8th | 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 Des Moines County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 136-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
BURLINGTON, Iowa — Des Moines County ranks 1,338th 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 54.7 out of 100 gives Des Moines a moderate county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 1,337 counties rank more distressed. Within Iowa, Des Moines ranks second 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, identifies debt burden (housing basis) as the primary driver in Des Moines. 32% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent — above the national median of 18%.
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 Des Moines County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Des Moines County's distress score?
How does Des Moines County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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