Taylor County, Iowa

County Distress Index: Healthy · 29.6 | 5,924 people · 56th most distressed in Iowa
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Taylor County, IA ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 29.6 — 2781st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Structural Poverty, where income and poverty levels indicate moderate economic strain. Within Iowa, it ranks 56th 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. Taylor County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 48.4 — above the national median.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 48.4
Unemployment Rate 5
Poverty Rate 46
Income vs. State Median 83
Child Poverty Rate 34
Disability Rate 34
Transfer Income Dependency 60
Economic Vitality 38.0
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 16
Rent-to-Income Ratio 25
Business Formation Rate 88
House Price Change (YoY) 95
Consumer Credit Distress 31.8
Debt in Collections 44
Medical Debt 41
Auto Loan Delinquency 40
Credit Card Delinquency 8
Uninsured Rate 20
Subprime Credit Population 29
Housing Cost Burden 16.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 5
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 10
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 55
Homeownership Rate 31
Legal Distress 10.0
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 10

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Taylor County
Taylor County, IA 29.6 Healthy —
Montgomery County, IA 51.0 Elevated +21.4
Page County, IA 42.0 Normal +12.4
Nodaway County, MO 40.4 Normal +10.8
Union County, IA 37.7 Normal +8.2
Worth County, MO 36.8 Normal +7.3
Ringgold County, IA 34.0 Healthy +4.5
Adams County, IA 33.3 Healthy +3.7

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Taylor County
Garden County, NE 29.6 Healthy +0.0
Scott County, KS 29.5 Healthy -0.0
San Miguel County, CO 29.6 Healthy +0.1
Holt County, MO 29.6 Healthy +0.1
Liberty County, MT 29.6 Healthy +0.1

Download Data

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Taylor County has a County Distress Index score of 29.6 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,781st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 56th in Iowa out of 99 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Taylor County?

    The primary driver of distress in Taylor County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 48.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Taylor County compare to neighboring counties?

    Taylor County (29.6) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Montgomery County, IA (51.0); Page County, IA (42.0); Nodaway County, MO (40.4).

  • 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). Taylor County's score of 29.6 sits in the Healthy zone (below 46).

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

    Taylor 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 Taylor County?

    Taylor County, Iowa has a population of approximately 5,924 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.