Pottawatomie County, Kansas
Near the national median for unemployment — and 3.4× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Loving County, TX — 1%).
Main Findings
Pottawatomie County, Kansas ranks 3,026th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. Pottawatomie sits near the national median across major distress indicators. Its highest-scoring domain is Labor.
- 3,026th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 17.4 · very low county distress, 103rd in Kansas.
- 3% of the labor force is unemployed (U.S. median 4%). Unemployment at the 38th percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026).
- Default & Legal domain score 14 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
- Debt Burden (housing basis) domain score 13 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
- Safety Net & Buffer domain score 13 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
Pottawatomie County has a very low county distress score. The rank and domain mix show where the county still sits in the national cross-section.
The CDI gives this county a very low county distress label. The rank is still reported because low score intensity and relative position are different measures. Its highest-scoring domain is Labor.
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Pottawatomie County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Pottawatomie County's value shown alongside KS's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Pottawatomie | KS median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 9 · Rank 3,021 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 2% | 4% | 5% | 7th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 3% | 5% | 5% | 12th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 14% | 18% | 23% | 9th | Equifax data retrieved via FRED (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 14 · Rank 2,925 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 11% | 18% | 23% | 6th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 76 | 101 | 126 | 23rd | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 13 · Rank 2,988 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 15% | 18% | 21% | 3rd | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 13% | 13% | 18% | 23rd | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 38 · Rank 1,902 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 3% | 4% | 4% | 38th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 13 · Rank 2,965 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 8% | 15% | 18% | 6th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 12% | 16% | 16% | 15th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 8% | 12% | 14% | 7th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 6% | 8% | 8% | 26th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
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), Equifax data retrieved via FRED (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2022 to 2026 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Pottawatomie County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 125-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
WESTMORELAND, Kan. — Pottawatomie County ranks 3,026th 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 17.4 out of 100 gives Pottawatomie a very low county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 3,025 counties rank more distressed. Within Kansas, Pottawatomie ranks 103rd of 105 counties.
The index, which draws on 13 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, finds Pottawatomie sitting near the national median across major distress indicators, with no single domain emerging as a clear driver.
American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Pottawatomie County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Pottawatomie County's distress score?
How does Pottawatomie County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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