Nome Census Area, Alaska

County Distress Index: Elevated · 56.3 | 9,763 people · 8th most distressed in Alaska
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Nome Census Area, AK registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 56.3 — 1124th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where unemployment is elevated, wages are low relative to housing costs, and business formation lags. Within Alaska, it ranks 8th of 30 counties. It scores lower than all 2 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Nome Census Area's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 78.5 — worse than roughly 79% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 78.5
Unemployment Rate 95
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 46
Business Formation Rate 95
Income & Poverty 74.5
Poverty Rate 88
Income vs. State Median 62
Child Poverty Rate 73
Community Vulnerability 50.1
Uninsured Rate 88
Disability Rate 12
Housing Cost Burden 43.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 6
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 9
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 35
Homeownership Rate 88
Rent-to-Income Ratio 77
Debt & Delinquency 35.3
Debt in Collections 38
Medical Debt 41
Student Loan Delinquency 53
Auto Loan Delinquency 5
Credit Card Delinquency 69
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 5

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Nome Census Area compares to its 2 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Nome Census Area
Nome Census Area, AK 56.3 Elevated —
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, AK 65.9 Serious +9.7
Northwest Arctic Borough, AK 59.2 Elevated +2.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Nome Census Area
Cimarron County, OK 56.3 Elevated +0.0
Throckmorton County, TX 56.2 Elevated -0.0
Clearwater County, ID 56.4 Elevated +0.1
Runnels County, TX 56.1 Elevated -0.2
Harney County, OR 56.4 Elevated +0.2

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Nome Census Area as a CSV file.

Find Help in Nome Census Area

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Alaska Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Alaska Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service 907-272-7469

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Nome Census Area residents at no cost.

Alaska Legal Services Corporation (ALSC) 1-888-478-2572

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Nome Census Area, Alaska?

    Nome Census Area has a County Distress Index score of 56.3 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,124th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 8th in Alaska out of 30 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Nome Census Area?

    The primary driver of distress in Nome Census Area is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 78.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Nome Census Area compare to neighboring counties?

    Nome Census Area (56.3) can be compared to its 2 neighboring counties: Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, AK (65.9); Northwest Arctic Borough, AK (59.2).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. 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.

  • What is the population of Nome Census Area?

    Nome Census Area, Alaska has a population of approximately 9,763 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.