Lyon County, Kansas

County Distress Index: Elevated · 54.8 | 32,172 people · 10th most distressed in Kansas
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Lyon County, KS registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 54.8 — 1288th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Kansas, it ranks 10th 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. Lyon County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 73.2 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 73.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 60
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 74
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 83
Homeownership Rate 94
Legal Distress 70.0
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 70
Consumer Credit Distress 49.1
Debt in Collections 56
Medical Debt 88
Auto Loan Delinquency 12
Credit Card Delinquency 46
Uninsured Rate 71
Subprime Credit Population 42
Structural Poverty 49.0
Unemployment Rate 61
Poverty Rate 51
Income vs. State Median 76
Child Poverty Rate 35
Disability Rate 28
Transfer Income Dependency 38
Economic Vitality 36.5
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 23
Rent-to-Income Ratio 27
Business Formation Rate 63
House Price Change (YoY) 83

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Lyon County
Lyon County, KS 54.8 Elevated —
Greenwood County, KS 48.8 Normal -6.0
Osage County, KS 45.4 Normal -9.4
Morris County, KS 35.5 Normal -19.3
Chase County, KS 35.3 Normal -19.5
Coffey County, KS 32.2 Healthy -22.6
Wabaunsee County, KS 26.9 Healthy -27.9

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Lyon County
Washington County, ID 54.8 Elevated -0.0
Lee County, TX 54.9 Elevated +0.0
Jefferson County, IL 54.8 Elevated -0.1
Lawrence County, AL 54.9 Elevated +0.1
Grant County, NM 54.9 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Lyon County has a County Distress Index score of 54.8 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,288th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 10th in Kansas out of 105 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Lyon County?

    The primary driver of distress in Lyon County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 73.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Lyon County compare to neighboring counties?

    Lyon County (54.8) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Greenwood County, KS (48.8); Osage County, KS (45.4); Morris County, KS (35.5).

  • 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 Elevated 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). Lyon County's score of 54.8 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    Lyon 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 Lyon County?

    Lyon County, Kansas has a population of approximately 32,172 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.