Kiowa County, Oklahoma

County Distress Index: Elevated · 64.3 | 8,398 people · 29th most distressed in Oklahoma
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Kiowa County, OK registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 64.2 — 692nd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Structural Poverty, where poverty rates are high, transfer income dependency is elevated, and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Oklahoma, it ranks 29th of 77 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Kiowa County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 83.9 — worse than roughly 84% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 83.9
Unemployment Rate 34
Poverty Rate 90
Income vs. State Median 92
Child Poverty Rate 91
Disability Rate 91
Transfer Income Dependency 90
Consumer Credit Distress 66.7
Debt in Collections 89
Medical Debt 95
Auto Loan Delinquency 5
Credit Card Delinquency 82
Uninsured Rate 71
Subprime Credit Population 63
Housing Cost Burden 64.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 87
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 53
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 20
Homeownership Rate 65
Economic Vitality 58.5
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 54
Rent-to-Income Ratio 82
Business Formation Rate 33
House Price Change (YoY) 62
Legal Distress 20.0
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 20

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Kiowa County
Kiowa County, OK 64.3 Elevated —
Comanche County, OK 71.9 Serious +7.6
Tillman County, OK 69.8 Serious +5.5
Caddo County, OK 67.0 Serious +2.8
Greer County, OK 62.5 Elevated -1.7
Beckham County, OK 61.0 Elevated -3.2
Jackson County, OK 57.9 Elevated -6.4
Washita County, OK 57.2 Elevated -7.0

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Kiowa County
Nicholas County, KY 64.3 Elevated +0.1
Jeff Davis County, TX 64.1 Elevated -0.1
Baylor County, TX 64.1 Elevated -0.2
Lake County, OR 64.4 Elevated +0.2
Delta County, TX 63.8 Elevated -0.4

Download Data

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Kiowa County, Oklahoma?

    Kiowa County has a County Distress Index score of 64.3 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 692nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 29th in Oklahoma out of 77 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Kiowa County?

    The primary driver of distress in Kiowa County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 83.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Kiowa County compare to neighboring counties?

    Kiowa County (64.3) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Comanche County, OK (71.9); Tillman County, OK (69.8); Caddo County, OK (67.0).

  • 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). Kiowa County's score of 64.3 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    Kiowa 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 Kiowa County?

    Kiowa County, Oklahoma has a population of approximately 8,398 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.