Grundy County, Iowa

County Distress Index: Healthy · 16.6 | 12,384 people · 97th most distressed in Iowa
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Grundy County, IA ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 16.6 — 3119th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Economic Vitality, where wages keep pace with costs, business formation is healthy, and the local economy shows resilience. Within Iowa, it ranks 97th of 99 counties. It scores lower than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Grundy County's primary driver is Economic Vitality at 29.3 — above the national median.

Economic Vitality Primary driver 29.3
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 18
Rent-to-Income Ratio 5
Business Formation Rate 75
House Price Change (YoY) 74
Housing Cost Burden 26.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 16
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 42
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 37
Homeownership Rate 5
Legal Distress 20.7
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 21
Structural Poverty 14.1
Unemployment Rate 19
Poverty Rate 5
Income vs. State Median 19
Child Poverty Rate 5
Disability Rate 10
Transfer Income Dependency 21
Consumer Credit Distress 9.7
Debt in Collections 5
Medical Debt 20
Auto Loan Delinquency 10
Credit Card Delinquency 7
Uninsured Rate 5
Subprime Credit Population 11

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Grundy County
Grundy County, IA 16.6 Healthy —
Black Hawk County, IA 51.4 Elevated +34.8
Hardin County, IA 37.6 Normal +21.0
Marshall County, IA 35.3 Normal +18.7
Tama County, IA 35.1 Normal +18.5
Franklin County, IA 30.0 Healthy +13.4
Butler County, IA 18.1 Healthy +1.5

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Grundy County
Jefferson County, MT 16.5 Healthy -0.1
Winneshiek County, IA 16.2 Healthy -0.4
Lincoln County, WY 17.1 Healthy +0.5
Mitchell County, IA 17.5 Healthy +0.9
Holt County, NE 17.7 Healthy +1.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Grundy County as a CSV file.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Grundy County, Iowa?

    Grundy County has a County Distress Index score of 16.6 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 3,119th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 97th in Iowa out of 99 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Grundy County?

    The primary driver of distress in Grundy County is Economic Vitality, where the county scores 29.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Rent-to-Income Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Grundy County compare to neighboring counties?

    Grundy County (16.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Black Hawk County, IA (51.4); Hardin County, IA (37.6); Marshall County, IA (35.3).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses PCA-weighted percentile scoring across five statistically derived factors: Consumer Credit Distress (47.5%), Housing Cost Burden (22.3%), Structural Poverty (13.6%), Economic Vitality (9.2%), and Legal Distress (7.4%). Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • How often is the CDI updated?

    Annually, aligned to Census American Community Survey and Urban Institute Debt in America release windows — the slowest-moving source inputs. Between annual refreshes, faster-cadence indicators (BLS unemployment, QCEW wages) may drive light mid-year updates if a specific component moves meaningfully. Current data compiled April 14, 2026; next full refresh early 2027.

  • What does the Healthy zone mean?

    The CDI divides counties into five zones: Healthy (below 46), Normal (46–55), Elevated (55–71), Serious (71–86), and Crisis (86 and above). Grundy County's score of 16.6 sits in the Healthy zone (below 46).

  • What data sources power Grundy County's CDI score?

    Grundy County's CDI score draws on Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax credit-bureau panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS, QCEW), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Every number on this page traces to one of these public sources.

  • What is the population of Grundy County?

    Grundy County, Iowa has a population of approximately 12,384 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.