Kearny County, Kansas

County Distress Index: Normal · 35.2 | 3,823 people · 60th most distressed in Kansas
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Kearny County, KS falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 35.2 — 2465th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Economic Vitality, where wages are low relative to housing costs, business formation lags, and the local economy lacks dynamism. Within Kansas, it ranks 60th of 105 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Kearny County's primary driver is Economic Vitality at 74.9 — above the national median.

Economic Vitality Primary driver 74.9
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 93
Rent-to-Income Ratio 74
Business Formation Rate 65
House Price Change (YoY) 5
Consumer Credit Distress 37.0
Debt in Collections 41
Medical Debt 43
Auto Loan Delinquency 39
Credit Card Delinquency 20
Uninsured Rate 74
Subprime Credit Population 27
Housing Cost Burden 26.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 32
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 5
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 32
Homeownership Rate 56
Legal Distress 24.8
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 25
Structural Poverty 22.7
Unemployment Rate 10
Poverty Rate 22
Income vs. State Median 23
Child Poverty Rate 33
Disability Rate 40
Transfer Income Dependency 12

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Kearny County
Kearny County, KS 35.2 Normal —
Finney County, KS 47.1 Normal +11.9
Grant County, KS 36.5 Normal +1.3
Wichita County, KS 29.8 Healthy -5.4
Scott County, KS 29.5 Healthy -5.7
Haskell County, KS 28.4 Healthy -6.8
Stanton County, KS 28.0 Healthy -7.2
Hamilton County, KS 23.6 Healthy -11.6

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Kearny County
Mathews County, VA 35.2 Normal -0.0
Norman County, MN 35.1 Normal -0.0
Chase County, KS 35.3 Normal +0.1
Hartley County, TX 35.1 Normal -0.1
Major County, OK 35.4 Normal +0.2

Download Data

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Kearny County has a County Distress Index score of 35.2 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,465th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 60th in Kansas out of 105 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Kearny County?

    The primary driver of distress in Kearny County is Economic Vitality, where the county scores 74.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Rent-to-Income Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Kearny County compare to neighboring counties?

    Kearny County (35.2) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Finney County, KS (47.1); Grant County, KS (36.5); Wichita County, KS (29.8).

  • 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). Kearny County's score of 35.2 sits in the Normal zone (46–55).

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

    Kearny 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 Kearny County?

    Kearny County, Kansas has a population of approximately 3,823 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.