Palo Alto County, Iowa
Near the national median for disability rate — and 4.8× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (San Juan County, CO — 3%).
Main Findings
Palo Alto County, Iowa ranks 3,044th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. Palo Alto sits near the national median across major distress indicators.
- 3,044th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Least distressed fifth, 84th in Iowa.
- 14% of residents report a disability (U.S. median 16%). Disability rate at the 31st percentile nationally.
- Auto loan delinquency at 5% — national median 5%, ranked at the 52nd percentile.
- Debt Burden (housing basis) domain score 17 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite.
- Default & Legal domain score 7 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite.
"Palo Alto County ranks in the least distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The CDI reading is a county comparison, separate from national ADI bands."
"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."
The Indicators Behind Palo Alto County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Palo Alto County's value shown alongside IA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Palo Alto | IA median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 24 · Rank 2,450 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 5% | 3% | 5% | 52nd | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 2% | 4% | 5% | 6th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 16% | 17% | 23% | 15th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 7 · Rank 3,090 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 11% | 17% | 23% | 7th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 45 | 101 | 126 | 8th | US Courts F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 17 · Rank 2,885 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 17% | 17% | 21% | 11th | HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 13% | 17% | 18% | 22nd | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 5 · Rank 3,015 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 2% | 2% | 4% | 5th | BLS LAUS (Dec 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 29 · Rank 2,408 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 13% | 14% | 18% | 27th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 14% | 14% | 16% | 31st | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 11% | 10% | 14% | 26th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers | 23% | 23% | 27% | 30th | BEA Regional Personal Income (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 5% | 5% | 8% | 18th | Census ACS 5-yr (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), 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 Palo Alto County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 148-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
EMMETSBURG, Iowa — Palo Alto County ranks 3,044th 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 16 out of 100 places Palo Alto in the least distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 3,043 counties rank more distressed. Within Iowa, Palo Alto ranks 84th 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 Palo Alto sitting near the national median across major distress indicators, with no single domain emerging as a clear driver.
"Palo Alto 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Palo Alto County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Palo Alto County's distress score?
How does Palo Alto County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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