Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
Above the national median for severe rent burden (50%+).
Main Findings
Milwaukee County, Wisconsin ranks 375th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 24% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent — above the national median of 18%.
- 375th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Most distressed fifth, 2nd in Wisconsin.
- 24% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent (U.S. median 18%). Severe rent burden (50%+) at the 83rd percentile nationally.
- Bankruptcy filing rate at 381 — national median 126, ranked at the 96th percentile.
- Auto loan delinquency at 8% — national median 5%, ranked at the 83rd percentile.
- Unemployment at 4% — national median 4%, ranked at the 71st percentile.
Neighbors span two CDI distress fifths. The 35-point drop to Ozaukee County marks where the Milwaukee metro distress corridor ends.
"Milwaukee County ranks in the most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The five-domain profile shows where local household pressure is most concentrated."
"The CDI places this county in the most distressed fifth nationally. The rank is the important geography signal: it compares the county with every other county-equivalent in the release."
The Indicators Behind Milwaukee County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Milwaukee County's value shown alongside WI's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Milwaukee | WI median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 71 · Rank 806 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 8% | 3% | 5% | 83rd | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 6% | 3% | 5% | 64th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 28% | 15% | 23% | 66th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 81 · Rank 395 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 28% | 14% | 23% | 66th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 381 | 118 | 126 | 96th | US Courts F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 82 · Rank 330 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 25% | 18% | 21% | 82nd | HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 24% | 15% | 18% | 83rd | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 71 · Rank 954 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 4% | 4% | 4% | 71st | BLS LAUS (Dec 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 55 · Rank 1,362 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 23% | 13% | 18% | 75th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 13% | 13% | 16% | 21st | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 17% | 10% | 14% | 73rd | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers | 23% | 24% | 27% | 31st | BEA Regional Personal Income (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 7% | 6% | 8% | 41st | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Business Formation Statistics), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2023 to 2025 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Milwaukee County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 150-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Milwaukee County ranks 375th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 72 out of 100 places Milwaukee in the most distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 374 counties rank more distressed. Within Wisconsin, Milwaukee ranks second of 72 counties.
The index, which draws on 16 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies debt burden (housing basis) as the primary driver in Milwaukee. 24% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent — above the national median of 18%.
"Milwaukee County ranks in the most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The five-domain profile shows where local household pressure is most concentrated," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Milwaukee County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Milwaukee County's distress score?
How does Milwaukee County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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