Sherman County, Kansas

County Distress Index: Normal · 41.3 | 5,844 people · 36th most distressed in Kansas
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Sherman County, KS falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 41.3 — 2104th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Structural Poverty, where income and poverty levels indicate moderate economic strain. Within Kansas, it ranks 36th 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. Sherman County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 55.0 — above the national median.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 55.0
Unemployment Rate 27
Poverty Rate 51
Income vs. State Median 69
Child Poverty Rate 52
Disability Rate 74
Transfer Income Dependency 49
Legal Distress 54.7
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 55
Housing Cost Burden 48.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 54
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 37
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 22
Homeownership Rate 81
Economic Vitality 45.4
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 52
Rent-to-Income Ratio 32
Business Formation Rate 23
House Price Change (YoY) 95
Consumer Credit Distress 31.2
Debt in Collections 37
Medical Debt 45
Auto Loan Delinquency 25
Credit Card Delinquency 5
Uninsured Rate 64
Subprime Credit Population 29

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Sherman County
Sherman County, KS 41.3 Normal —
Kit Carson County, CO 38.5 Normal -2.8
Thomas County, KS 38.3 Normal -3.0
Cheyenne County, KS 34.5 Healthy -6.9
Wallace County, KS 31.9 Healthy -9.4
Rawlins County, KS 28.3 Healthy -13.0
Logan County, KS 27.9 Healthy -13.4

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Sherman County
Pawnee County, KS 41.3 Normal -0.0
Ritchie County, WV 41.3 Normal -0.0
San Juan County, CO 41.3 Normal -0.1
Monona County, IA 41.3 Normal -0.1
Aleutians West Census Area, AK 41.2 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Sherman County has a County Distress Index score of 41.3 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,104th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 36th in Kansas out of 105 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Sherman County?

    The primary driver of distress in Sherman County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 55.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Sherman County compare to neighboring counties?

    Sherman County (41.3) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Kit Carson County, CO (38.5); Thomas County, KS (38.3); Cheyenne County, KS (34.5).

  • 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). Sherman County's score of 41.3 sits in the Normal zone (46–55).

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

    Sherman 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 Sherman County?

    Sherman County, Kansas has a population of approximately 5,844 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.