Sedgwick County, Kansas

County Distress Index: Elevated · 52.2 | 528,469 people · 11th most distressed in Kansas
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Sedgwick County, KS registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 52.2 — 1442nd 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 11th 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. Sedgwick County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 69.0 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 69.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 66
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 60
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 78
Homeownership Rate 90
Legal Distress 67.7
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 68
Consumer Credit Distress 51.1
Debt in Collections 54
Medical Debt 34
Auto Loan Delinquency 49
Credit Card Delinquency 51
Uninsured Rate 70
Subprime Credit Population 53
Structural Poverty 36.6
Unemployment Rate 52
Poverty Rate 50
Income vs. State Median 32
Child Poverty Rate 48
Disability Rate 37
Transfer Income Dependency 15
Economic Vitality 27.8
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 18
Rent-to-Income Ratio 34
Business Formation Rate 29
House Price Change (YoY) 56

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Sedgwick County
Sedgwick County, KS 52.2 Elevated —
Cowley County, KS 51.4 Elevated -0.8
Reno County, KS 51.3 Elevated -0.9
Sumner County, KS 45.2 Normal -7.0
Butler County, KS 42.3 Normal -9.9
Harvey County, KS 35.3 Normal -16.9
Kingman County, KS 32.4 Healthy -19.8

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Sedgwick County
Kalamazoo County, MI 52.2 Elevated +0.0
Madison County, AL 52.3 Elevated +0.1
Buncombe County, NC 52.0 Elevated -0.2
Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT 52.0 Elevated -0.2
Arapahoe County, CO 52.7 Elevated +0.5

Download Data

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Sedgwick County has a County Distress Index score of 52.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,442nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 11th in Kansas out of 105 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Sedgwick County?

    The primary driver of distress in Sedgwick County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 69.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Sedgwick County compare to neighboring counties?

    Sedgwick County (52.2) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Cowley County, KS (51.4); Reno County, KS (51.3); Sumner County, KS (45.2).

  • 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 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). Sedgwick County's score of 52.2 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    Sedgwick 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 Sedgwick County?

    Sedgwick County, Kansas has a population of approximately 528,469 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.