#2,837 Kansas · 2026

Hodgeman County, Kansas

Least distressed fifth 2,837th of 3,144 counties nationally · 1,655 residents How this is calculated →
The headline number
4% Hodgeman residents
vs.
5% U.S. median

Near the national median for auto loan delinquency.

Urban Institute (2024)

Main Findings

Wire lede · 26 words · paste-ready

Hodgeman County, Kansas ranks 2,837th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. Hodgeman sits near the national median across major distress indicators.

Key Findings
  • 2,837th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Least distressed fifth, 80th in Kansas.
  • 4% of auto loan accounts are 60+ days past due (U.S. median 5%). Auto loan delinquency at the 39th percentile nationally.
  • Safety Net & Buffer domain score 25 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite.
  • Default & Legal domain score 23 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite.
  • Debt Burden (housing basis) domain score 22 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite.
County Distress Index cluster map. Hodgeman County, Kansas and its neighbors colored by distress fifth.
Hodgeman and its 6 geographic neighbors, graded by County Distress Index score. Hodgeman County ranks 2,837th of 3,144. American Default Research
Wire quote — paste-ready, any angle 23 words

"Hodgeman County ranks in the least distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The CDI reading is a county comparison, separate from national ADI bands."

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

"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."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research

The Indicators Behind Hodgeman County's CDI Score

Every number traces to a public source. Hodgeman 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 Hodgeman County's national rank among all 3,144 U.S. counties for that indicator, always oriented so higher = more distressed.
Indicator Hodgeman KS median U.S. median Pctile Source
Delinquency — domain score 33 · Rank 2,136 of 3,144
Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due 4% 4% 5% 39th Urban Institute (2024)
Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due 5% 5% 5% 38th Urban Institute (2024)
Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 18% 18% 23% 23rd Urban Institute (2024)
Default & Legal — domain score 23 · Rank 2,678 of 3,144
Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections 18% 18% 23% 31st Urban Institute (2024)
Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 60 101 126 15th US Courts F-5A (2025)
Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 22 · Rank 2,722 of 3,144
Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income 16% 18% 21% 5th HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024)
Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent 16% 13% 18% 38th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Labor — domain score 21 · Rank 2,478 of 3,144
Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed 3% 3% 4% 21st BLS LAUS (Dec 2025)
Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 25 · Rank 2,576 of 3,144
Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line 12% 15% 18% 21st Census SAIPE (2023)
Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability 14% 16% 16% 35th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line 10% 12% 14% 24th Census SAIPE (2023)
Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers 19% 25% 27% 16th BEA Regional Personal Income (2023)
Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage 7% 8% 8% 38th 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 33
Weight 20% · Rank 2,136 of 3,144
Safety Net & Buffer 25
Weight 20% · Rank 2,576 of 3,144
Default & Legal 23
Weight 20% · Rank 2,678 of 3,144
Debt Burden (housing basis) 22
Weight 20% · Rank 2,722 of 3,144
Labor 21
Weight 20% · Rank 2,478 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 Hodgeman 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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JETMORE, Kan. — Hodgeman County ranks 2,837th 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 25 out of 100 places Hodgeman in the least distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 2,836 counties rank more distressed. Within Kansas, Hodgeman ranks 80th 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 Hodgeman sitting near the national median across major distress indicators, with no single domain emerging as a clear driver.

"Hodgeman 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

Hodgeman County scores 25 out of 100 on the County Distress Index, placing it in the least distressed fifth. It ranks 2,837th of 3,144 U.S. counties and 80th of 105 Kansas counties. Higher county scores indicate more distress.

What drives Hodgeman County's distress score?

The highest-scoring domain is Delinquency, at a domain score of 33. Auto loan delinquency ranks at the 39th percentile nationally.

How does Hodgeman County compare to its neighbors?

Hodgeman County's neighbors span two CDI distress fifths. Highest-distress neighbor: Ford County (37.40, 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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