#2,394 Kansas · 2026

Finney County, Kansas

Second-least distressed fifth 2,394th of 3,144 counties nationally · 37,466 residents How this is calculated →
The headline number
6% Finney residents
vs.
5% U.S. median

Near the national median for credit card delinquency.

Urban Institute (2024)

Main Findings

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Finney County, Kansas ranks 2,394th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. Finney sits near the national median across major distress indicators.

Key Findings
  • 2,394th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Second-least distressed fifth, 41st in Kansas.
  • 6% of credit card accounts are 60+ days past due (U.S. median 5%). Credit card delinquency at the 61st percentile nationally.
  • Uninsured rate at 13% — national median 8%, ranked at the 81st percentile.
  • Debt in collections at 23% — national median 23%, ranked at the 51st percentile.
  • Debt Burden (housing basis) domain score 26 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite.
Distinctive Signals
Boundary Signal

Neighbors span two CDI distress fifths. The 24-point drop to Gray County marks where the Kansas distress corridor ends.

County Distress Index cluster map. Finney County, Kansas and its neighbors colored by distress fifth.
Finney and its 7 geographic neighbors, graded by County Distress Index score. Finney County ranks 2,394th of 3,144. American Default Research
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"Finney County ranks in the second-least distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The state rank and domain mix give the county-level context."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research
Analyst quote — for feature use 25 words

"The CDI places this county in the second-least distressed fifth nationally. The rank still belongs in context with state position and the highest-scoring local domain."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research

The Indicators Behind Finney County's CDI Score

Every number traces to a public source. Finney County's value shown alongside KS's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.

How to read the table. A domain score is a 0–100 composite of the indicators in that domain, where 50 = U.S. county median and higher = more distressed. Percentile is Finney County's national rank among all 3,144 U.S. counties for that indicator, always oriented so higher = more distressed.
Indicator Finney KS median U.S. median Pctile Source
Delinquency — domain score 58 · Rank 1,257 of 3,144
Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due 6% 4% 5% 58th Urban Institute (2024)
Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due 6% 5% 5% 61st Urban Institute (2024)
Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 25% 18% 23% 57th Urban Institute (2024)
Default & Legal — domain score 36 · Rank 2,192 of 3,144
Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections 23% 18% 23% 51st Urban Institute (2024)
Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 72 101 126 20th US Courts F-5A (2025)
Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 26 · Rank 2,565 of 3,144
Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income 18% 18% 21% 23rd HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024)
Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent 14% 13% 18% 29th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Labor — domain score 15 · Rank 2,669 of 3,144
Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed 3% 3% 4% 15th BLS LAUS (Dec 2025)
Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 42 · Rank 1,893 of 3,144
Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line 15% 15% 18% 36th Census SAIPE (2023)
Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability 13% 16% 16% 24th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line 12% 12% 14% 37th Census SAIPE (2023)
Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers 17% 25% 27% 12th BEA Regional Personal Income (2023)
Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage 13% 8% 8% 81st Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Data compiled April 2026 from Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax 2024 panel), U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-yr 2023, SAIPE 2023, Business Formation Statistics 2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS Dec 2025, QCEW 2024), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings 2025), and HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2024).

Five-Domain Breakdown

The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.

Delinquency Primary driver 58
Weight 20% · Rank 1,257 of 3,144
Safety Net & Buffer 42
Weight 20% · Rank 1,893 of 3,144
Default & Legal 36
Weight 20% · Rank 2,192 of 3,144
Debt Burden (housing basis) 26
Weight 20% · Rank 2,565 of 3,144
Labor 15
Weight 20% · Rank 2,669 of 3,144

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 Finney County data — in under 60 seconds.

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Press contact: Ross Kilburn · press@americandefault.org · (307) 264-2992 · same-day response, 9am–6pm ET
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GARDEN CITY, Kan. — Finney County ranks 2,394th 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 35 out of 100 places Finney in the second-least distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 2,393 counties rank more distressed. Within Kansas, Finney ranks 41st of 105 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 Finney sitting near the national median across major distress indicators, with no single domain emerging as a clear driver.

"Finney County ranks in the second-least distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The state rank and domain mix give the county-level context," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.

Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Finney County's CDI score, and what does it mean?

Finney County scores 35 out of 100 on the County Distress Index, placing it in the second-least distressed fifth. It ranks 2,394th of 3,144 U.S. counties and 41st of 105 Kansas counties. Higher county scores indicate more distress.

What drives Finney County's distress score?

The highest-scoring domain is Delinquency, at a domain score of 58. Credit card delinquency ranks at the 61st percentile nationally.

How does Finney County compare to its neighbors?

Finney County's neighbors span two CDI distress fifths. Highest-distress neighbor: Kearny County (32.71, Second-least distressed fifth). Lowest: Gray County (8.64, Least distressed fifth).

How is the County Distress Index calculated?

The CDI is a 0–100 composite of 16 source indicators across five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Data comes from Urban Institute, Census Bureau, BLS, U.S. Courts, HUD, and related public sources. Full methodology →
Ross Kilburn
Written by

Ross Kilburn, Founder

Founder · American Default Research · Seattle, Washington

Two decades working directly with financially distressed American households — from property preservation in 2003, to negotiating over 1,000 short sales during the Great Recession, to foreclosure defense marketing today. Author, The Ark Law Group Complete Guide to Short Sales (Auroch Press, 2013). Founded American Default Research in 2026.

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