#2,771 Alaska · 2026

Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska

25.9 · low county distress 2,771st of 3,144 counties nationally · 12,565 residents How this is calculated →
The headline number
29% Kodiak Island Borough residents
vs.
21% U.S. median

Above the national median for rent-to-income ratio — and 2.4× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Steele County, ND — 12%).

HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023)

Main Findings

Wire lede · 37 words · paste-ready

Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska ranks 2,771st most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. Kodiak Island Borough sits near the national median across major distress indicators. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).

Key Findings
  • 2,771st of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 25.9 · low county distress, 27th in Alaska.
  • A rent-to-income ratio of 29% (U.S. median 21%). Rent-to-income ratio at the 93rd percentile nationally. Source: HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
  • Uninsured rate at 10% — national median 8%, ranked at the 66th percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023).
  • Safety Net & Buffer domain score 20 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
  • Delinquency domain score 11 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
County Distress Index cluster map. Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska and its neighbors colored by county distress score label.
Kodiak Island Borough and its 2 geographic neighbors, graded by County Distress Index score. Kodiak Island Borough ranks 2,771st of 3,144. American Default Research
Wire summary — paste-ready, any angle 21 words

Kodiak Island Borough has a low county distress score. The CDI reading is a county comparison, separate from national ADI bands.

— American Default Research
Index note — for feature use 29 words

The CDI gives this county a low county distress label. The score is a county comparison, separate from national ADI bands. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).

— American Default Research

Indicator History

Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.

Updated Jul 1, 2026
BLS 1990 to 2025

Unemployment rate

4.3% -1.0 pp since 1990
Census 1989 to 2024

Poverty rate

8.3% +2.2 pp since 1989
BEA 1969 to 2024

Transfer income share

19.6% +16.8 pp since 1969
FRED/Equifax 2014 Q2 to 2025 Q4

Subprime credit population

14.1% -9.1 pp since 2014 Q2

The Indicators Behind Kodiak Island Borough's CDI Score

Every number traces to a public source. Kodiak Island Borough's value shown alongside AK's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.

How to read the table. A domain score is a 0–100 composite of the indicators in that domain; higher values represent a higher mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles. A county's domain rank is computed separately against all counties. Percentile is Kodiak Island Borough's national rank among all 3,144 U.S. counties for that indicator, always oriented so higher = more distressed.
Indicator Kodiak Island Borough AK median U.S. median Pctile Source
Delinquency — domain score 11 · Rank 2,963 of 3,144
Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due 2% 2% 5% 9th Urban Institute Debt in America (2025)
Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due 3% 4% 5% 16th Urban Institute Debt in America (2025)
Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 14% 18% 23% 9th Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025)
Default & Legal — domain score 7 · Rank 3,094 of 3,144
Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections 12% 18% 23% 9th Urban Institute Debt in America (2025)
Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 16 34 126 5th Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025)
Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 58 · Rank 1,178 of 3,144
Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income 29% 22% 21% 93rd HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023)
Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent 13% 10% 18% 23rd U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023)
Labor — domain score 34 · Rank 2,026 of 3,144
Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed 3% 5% 4% 34th U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026)
Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 20 · Rank 2,780 of 3,144
Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line 9% 14% 18% 7th U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023)
Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability 9% 14% 16% 5th U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023)
Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line 8% 12% 14% 10th U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023)
Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage 10% 14% 8% 66th U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023)
Data compiled May 2026 from Urban Institute Debt in America (2025 panel), U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-yr 2023, SAIPE 2023, Business Formation Statistics 2024), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS May 2026, QCEW 2024), Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (F-5A bankruptcy filings 2025), and HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2026).

Five-Domain Breakdown

The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.

Debt Burden (housing basis) Primary driver 58
Weight 20% · Rank 1,178 of 3,144
Labor 34
Weight 20% · Rank 2,026 of 3,144
Safety Net & Buffer 20
Weight 20% · Rank 2,780 of 3,144
Delinquency 11
Weight 20% · Rank 2,963 of 3,144
Default & Legal 7
Weight 20% · Rank 3,094 of 3,144

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), FRED/Equifax (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2022 to 2026 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.

For Press & Research

Everything you need to cite Kodiak Island Borough data — in under 60 seconds.

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Press contact: Ross Kilburn · press@americandefault.org · (307) 264-2992 · same-day response, 9am–6pm ET
Draft wire copy 134-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
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KODIAK, Alaska — Kodiak Island Borough ranks 2,771st 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 25.9 out of 100 gives Kodiak Island Borough a low county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 2,770 counties rank more distressed. Within Alaska, Kodiak Island Borough ranks 27th of 30 boroughs and census areas.

The index, which draws on 13 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, finds Kodiak Island Borough sitting near the national median across major distress indicators, with no single domain emerging as a clear driver.

American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.

Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Kodiak Island Borough's CDI score, and what does it mean?

Kodiak Island Borough scores 25.9 out of 100 on the County Distress Index, with the score label low county distress. It ranks 2,771st of 3,144 U.S. counties and 27th of 30 Alaska boroughs and census areas. Higher county scores indicate more distress.

What drives Kodiak Island Borough's distress score?

The highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis), at a domain score of 58. Rent-to-income ratio ranks at the 93rd percentile nationally.

How does Kodiak Island Borough compare to its neighbors?

Kodiak Island Borough's neighbors span two CDI score labels. Highest-distress neighbor: Lake and Peninsula Borough (45.49, moderate-low county distress). Lowest: Kenai Peninsula Borough (39.81, low-moderate county distress).

How is the County Distress Index calculated?

The CDI is a 0–100 composite of 13 source indicators across five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Data comes from Urban Institute, Census Bureau, BLS, U.S. Courts, HUD, and related public sources. Full methodology →
Ross Kilburn
Written by

Ross Kilburn, Founder

Founder · American Default Research · Seattle, Washington

Two decades working directly with financially distressed American households — from property preservation in 2003, to negotiating over 1,000 short sales during the Great Recession, to foreclosure defense marketing today. Author, The Ark Law Group Complete Guide to Short Sales (Auroch Press, 2013). Founded American Default Research in 2026.

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