Norton County, Kansas

County Distress Index: Normal · 40.9 | 5,330 people · 38th most distressed in Kansas
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Norton County, KS falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 40.9 — 2135th 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 38th 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. Norton County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 72.2 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 72.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 81
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 86
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 82
Homeownership Rate 13
Structural Poverty 47.6
Unemployment Rate 13
Poverty Rate 53
Income vs. State Median 69
Child Poverty Rate 48
Disability Rate 72
Transfer Income Dependency 26
Economic Vitality 34.8
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 24
Rent-to-Income Ratio 21
Business Formation Rate 82
House Price Change (YoY) 40
Consumer Credit Distress 31.1
Debt in Collections 26
Medical Debt 50
Auto Loan Delinquency 29
Credit Card Delinquency 32
Uninsured Rate 61
Subprime Credit Population 13
Legal Distress 5.0
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 5

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Norton County
Norton County, KS 40.9 Normal —
Furnas County, NE 40.2 Normal -0.7
Decatur County, KS 35.9 Normal -5.0
Graham County, KS 30.3 Healthy -10.6
Harlan County, NE 24.7 Healthy -16.2
Sheridan County, KS 23.4 Healthy -17.5
Phillips County, KS 22.9 Healthy -18.0

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Norton County
Armstrong County, TX 40.9 Normal +0.0
Henderson County, IL 40.8 Normal -0.1
Grant County, OR 41.0 Normal +0.1
DeKalb County, MO 41.0 Normal +0.1
Mora County, NM 40.8 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Norton County has a County Distress Index score of 40.9 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,135th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 38th in Kansas out of 105 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Norton County?

    The primary driver of distress in Norton County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 72.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Norton County compare to neighboring counties?

    Norton County (40.9) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Furnas County, NE (40.2); Decatur County, KS (35.9); Graham County, KS (30.3).

  • 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). Norton County's score of 40.9 sits in the Normal zone (46–55).

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

    Norton 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 Norton County?

    Norton County, Kansas has a population of approximately 5,330 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.