Ford County, Kansas

County Distress Index: Normal · 49.2 | 33,980 people · 19th most distressed in Kansas
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Ford County, KS falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 49.2 — 1626th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within Kansas, it ranks 19th of 105 counties. It scores higher than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Ford County's primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress at 77.8 — worse than roughly 78% of U.S. counties.

Consumer Credit Distress Primary driver 77.8
Debt in Collections 60
Medical Debt 68
Auto Loan Delinquency 96
Credit Card Delinquency 92
Uninsured Rate 84
Subprime Credit Population 74
Economic Vitality 28.7
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 21
Rent-to-Income Ratio 11
Business Formation Rate 76
House Price Change (YoY) 30
Housing Cost Burden 23.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 12
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 8
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 22
Homeownership Rate 86
Legal Distress 21.6
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 22
Structural Poverty 20.9
Unemployment Rate 10
Poverty Rate 34
Income vs. State Median 28
Child Poverty Rate 30
Disability Rate 9
Transfer Income Dependency 13

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Ford County
Ford County, KS 49.2 Normal —
Edwards County, KS 33.7 Healthy -15.5
Clark County, KS 31.4 Healthy -17.8
Hodgeman County, KS 30.8 Healthy -18.4
Kiowa County, KS 30.6 Healthy -18.6
Meade County, KS 27.3 Healthy -21.9
Gray County, KS 15.3 Healthy -33.9

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Ford County
Delta County, CO 49.2 Normal +0.0
Otsego County, MI 49.2 Normal -0.0
Barry County, MO 49.3 Normal +0.0
Grant County, AR 49.3 Normal +0.1
Decatur County, TN 49.1 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

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Kansas Bar Association Lawyer Referral 785-234-5696

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Ford County has a County Distress Index score of 49.2 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,626th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 19th in Kansas out of 105 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Ford County?

    The primary driver of distress in Ford County is Consumer Credit Distress, where the county scores 77.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Auto Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Ford County compare to neighboring counties?

    Ford County (49.2) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Edwards County, KS (33.7); Clark County, KS (31.4); Hodgeman County, KS (30.8).

  • 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 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). Ford County's score of 49.2 sits in the Normal zone (46–55).

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

    Ford 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 Ford County?

    Ford County, Kansas has a population of approximately 33,980 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.