Harrison County, Iowa

County Distress Index: Normal · 37.1 | 14,670 people · 33rd most distressed in Iowa
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Harrison County, IA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 37.1 — 2360th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Economic Vitality, where wages are low relative to housing costs, business formation lags, and the local economy lacks dynamism. Within Iowa, it ranks 33rd of 99 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 6 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Harrison County's primary driver is Economic Vitality at 82.3 — worse than roughly 82% of U.S. counties.

Economic Vitality Primary driver 82.3
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 87
Rent-to-Income Ratio 85
Business Formation Rate 59
House Price Change (YoY) 94
Legal Distress 51.7
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 52
Housing Cost Burden 37.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 29
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 45
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 38
Homeownership Rate 36
Structural Poverty 33.9
Unemployment Rate 10
Poverty Rate 19
Income vs. State Median 70
Child Poverty Rate 22
Disability Rate 18
Transfer Income Dependency 40
Consumer Credit Distress 26.9
Debt in Collections 29
Medical Debt 26
Auto Loan Delinquency 12
Credit Card Delinquency 53
Uninsured Rate 10
Subprime Credit Population 25

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Harrison County
Harrison County, IA 37.1 Normal —
Pottawattamie County, IA 51.5 Elevated +14.4
Monona County, IA 41.3 Normal +4.2
Crawford County, IA 38.0 Normal +0.9
Shelby County, IA 31.0 Healthy -6.1
Burt County, NE 28.3 Healthy -8.8
Washington County, NE 25.0 Healthy -12.0

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Harrison County
Camden County, MO 37.0 Normal -0.0
Windham County, VT 37.0 Normal -0.1
Warren County, PA 36.9 Normal -0.1
Jersey County, IL 36.9 Normal -0.1
Ashe County, NC 37.2 Normal +0.2

Download Data

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Harrison County has a County Distress Index score of 37.1 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,360th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 33rd in Iowa out of 99 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Harrison County?

    The primary driver of distress in Harrison County is Economic Vitality, where the county scores 82.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Rent-to-Income Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Harrison County compare to neighboring counties?

    Harrison County (37.1) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Pottawattamie County, IA (51.5); Monona County, IA (41.3); Crawford County, IA (38.0).

  • 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 Normal 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). Harrison County's score of 37.1 sits in the Normal zone (46–55).

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

    Harrison 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 Harrison County?

    Harrison County, Iowa has a population of approximately 14,670 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.