Lyon County, Iowa

County Distress Index: Healthy · 11.4 | 12,324 people · 99th most distressed in Iowa
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Lyon County, IA ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 11.4 — 3142nd 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 99th of 99 counties. It scores lower than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Lyon County's primary driver is Economic Vitality at 29.8 — above the national median.

Economic Vitality Primary driver 29.8
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 23
Rent-to-Income Ratio 5
Business Formation Rate 62
House Price Change (YoY) 79
Housing Cost Burden 15.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 10
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 9
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 72
Homeownership Rate 6
Structural Poverty 12.9
Unemployment Rate 6
Poverty Rate 6
Income vs. State Median 30
Child Poverty Rate 7
Disability Rate 16
Transfer Income Dependency 6
Legal Distress 9.0
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 9
Consumer Credit Distress 5.8
Debt in Collections 5
Medical Debt 7
Auto Loan Delinquency 5
Credit Card Delinquency 5
Uninsured Rate 11
Subprime Credit Population 5

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Lyon County
Lyon County, IA 11.4 Healthy —
Minnehaha County, SD 35.5 Normal +24.1
Nobles County, MN 32.5 Healthy +21.1
Osceola County, IA 27.8 Healthy +16.4
O'Brien County, IA 27.4 Healthy +16.0
Rock County, MN 22.9 Healthy +11.5
Lincoln County, SD 20.3 Healthy +8.9
Sioux County, IA 18.1 Healthy +6.7

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Lyon County
Los Alamos County, NM 11.4 Healthy -0.1
Nemaha County, KS 15.1 Healthy +3.7
Morgan County, UT 15.3 Healthy +3.8
Winneshiek County, IA 16.2 Healthy +4.8
Jefferson County, MT 16.5 Healthy +5.1

Download Data

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Lyon County has a County Distress Index score of 11.4 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 3,142nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 99th in Iowa out of 99 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Lyon County?

    The primary driver of distress in Lyon County is Economic Vitality, where the county scores 29.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Rent-to-Income Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Lyon County compare to neighboring counties?

    Lyon County (11.4) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Minnehaha County, SD (35.5); Nobles County, MN (32.5); Osceola County, IA (27.8).

  • 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). Lyon County's score of 11.4 sits in the Healthy zone (below 46).

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

    Lyon 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 Lyon County?

    Lyon County, Iowa has a population of approximately 12,324 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.