Chautauqua County, Kansas

County Distress Index: Normal · 46.0 | 3,347 people · 27th most distressed in Kansas
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Chautauqua County, KS falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 46.0 — 1848th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Structural Poverty, where poverty rates are high, transfer income dependency is elevated, and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Kansas, it ranks 27th of 105 counties. It scores lower than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Chautauqua County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 80.1 — worse than roughly 80% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 80.1
Unemployment Rate 74
Poverty Rate 59
Income vs. State Median 92
Child Poverty Rate 79
Disability Rate 85
Transfer Income Dependency 83
Economic Vitality 68.2
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 77
Rent-to-Income Ratio 51
Business Formation Rate 84
House Price Change (YoY) 40
Legal Distress 46.5
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 47
Consumer Credit Distress 45.1
Debt in Collections 45
Medical Debt 27
Auto Loan Delinquency 39
Credit Card Delinquency 38
Uninsured Rate 80
Subprime Credit Population 55
Housing Cost Burden 17.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 12
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 18
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 53
Homeownership Rate 6

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Chautauqua County
Chautauqua County, KS 46.0 Normal —
Osage County, OK 62.7 Elevated +16.7
Montgomery County, KS 60.5 Elevated +14.5
Washington County, OK 55.2 Elevated +9.2
Cowley County, KS 51.4 Elevated +5.4
Elk County, KS 48.0 Normal +2.0

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Chautauqua County
Calhoun County, AR 46.0 Normal +0.0
Buffalo County, SD 46.0 Normal +0.0
Lucas County, IA 46.0 Normal -0.0
Sutton County, TX 46.1 Normal +0.1
Iron County, WI 46.1 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Chautauqua County, Kansas?

    Chautauqua County has a County Distress Index score of 46.0 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,848th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 27th in Kansas out of 105 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Chautauqua County?

    The primary driver of distress in Chautauqua County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 80.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Chautauqua County compare to neighboring counties?

    Chautauqua County (46.0) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Osage County, OK (62.7); Montgomery County, KS (60.5); Washington County, OK (55.2).

  • 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). Chautauqua County's score of 46.0 sits in the Normal zone (46–55).

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

    Chautauqua 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 Chautauqua County?

    Chautauqua County, Kansas has a population of approximately 3,347 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.