Seward County, Kansas

County Distress Index: Normal · 49.5 | 21,067 people · 17th most distressed in Kansas
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Seward County, KS falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 49.5 — 1605th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress, where debt and delinquency levels sit above the national average. Within Kansas, it ranks 17th of 105 counties. It scores higher than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Seward County's primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress at 59.0 — above the national median.

Consumer Credit Distress Primary driver 59.0
Debt in Collections 49
Medical Debt 35
Auto Loan Delinquency 75
Credit Card Delinquency 56
Uninsured Rate 85
Subprime Credit Population 64
Housing Cost Burden 54.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 35
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 49
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 83
Homeownership Rate 91
Economic Vitality 35.0
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 31
Rent-to-Income Ratio 20
Business Formation Rate 72
House Price Change (YoY) 32
Structural Poverty 30.1
Unemployment Rate 19
Poverty Rate 57
Income vs. State Median 35
Child Poverty Rate 52
Disability Rate 8
Transfer Income Dependency 15
Legal Distress 28.6
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 29

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Seward County
Seward County, KS 49.5 Normal —
Texas County, OK 45.0 Normal -4.5
Stevens County, KS 36.9 Normal -12.6
Beaver County, OK 28.9 Healthy -20.6
Haskell County, KS 28.4 Healthy -21.1
Meade County, KS 27.3 Healthy -22.2

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Seward County
Hardy County, WV 49.5 Normal -0.0
Clinton County, IA 49.5 Normal +0.0
Williams County, OH 49.5 Normal +0.0
Coos County, NH 49.4 Normal -0.1
White County, IN 49.4 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

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Kansas Bar Association Lawyer Referral 785-234-5696

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Seward County has a County Distress Index score of 49.5 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,605th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 17th in Kansas out of 105 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Seward County?

    The primary driver of distress in Seward County is Consumer Credit Distress, where the county scores 59.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Auto Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Seward County compare to neighboring counties?

    Seward County (49.5) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Texas County, OK (45.0); Stevens County, KS (36.9); Beaver County, OK (28.9).

  • 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). Seward County's score of 49.5 sits in the Normal zone (46–55).

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

    Seward 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 Seward County?

    Seward County, Kansas has a population of approximately 21,067 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.