Saline County, Kansas

County Distress Index: Normal · 49.0 | 53,098 people · 20th most distressed in Kansas
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Saline County, KS falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 49.0 — 1647th 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 20th 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. Saline County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 75.6 — worse than roughly 76% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 75.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 67
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 81
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 79
Homeownership Rate 80
Legal Distress 58.2
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 58
Consumer Credit Distress 41.6
Debt in Collections 47
Medical Debt 35
Auto Loan Delinquency 37
Credit Card Delinquency 31
Uninsured Rate 65
Subprime Credit Population 44
Economic Vitality 38.6
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 40
Rent-to-Income Ratio 28
Business Formation Rate 56
House Price Change (YoY) 29
Structural Poverty 33.0
Unemployment Rate 16
Poverty Rate 33
Income vs. State Median 45
Child Poverty Rate 29
Disability Rate 44
Transfer Income Dependency 25

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Saline County
Saline County, KS 49.0 Normal —
Dickinson County, KS 46.1 Normal -2.8
Ottawa County, KS 39.8 Normal -9.1
Lincoln County, KS 37.2 Normal -11.8
Marion County, KS 31.1 Healthy -17.9
Ellsworth County, KS 26.3 Healthy -22.7
McPherson County, KS 25.7 Healthy -23.2

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Saline County
Laramie County, WY 49.0 Normal 0.0
Van Buren County, MI 49.0 Normal +0.1
Ulster County, NY 48.9 Normal -0.1
Nassau County, FL 49.0 Normal +0.1
Bartholomew County, IN 48.9 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Saline County has a County Distress Index score of 49.0 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,647th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 20th in Kansas out of 105 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Saline County?

    The primary driver of distress in Saline County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 75.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Saline County compare to neighboring counties?

    Saline County (49.0) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Dickinson County, KS (46.1); Ottawa County, KS (39.8); Lincoln County, KS (37.2).

  • 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). Saline County's score of 49.0 sits in the Normal zone (46–55).

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

    Saline 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 Saline County?

    Saline County, Kansas has a population of approximately 53,098 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.