Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska
More than double the national median for unemployment — and 8.8× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Loving County, TX — 1%).
Main Findings
Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska ranks 926th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 9% of the labor force is unemployed — more than double the national median of 4%. Its highest-scoring domain is Labor.
- 926th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 62.1 · moderate-high county distress, 1st in Alaska.
- 9% of the labor force is unemployed (U.S. median 4%). Unemployment at the 95th percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026).
- Credit card delinquency at 12% — national median 5%, ranked at the 95th percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Uninsured rate at 19% — national median 8%, ranked at the 95th percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023).
- Rent-to-income ratio at 29% — national median 21%, ranked at the 94th percentile. Source: HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
Neighbors span two CDI score labels. The 25-point drop to North Slope Borough marks where the Alaska distress corridor ends.
"Northwest Arctic Borough has a moderate-high county distress score. The domain mix shows whether pressure is concentrated or spread across the profile."
"The CDI gives this county a moderate-high county distress label. The domain table shows whether the score comes from debt, labor, safety-net pressure, or a mix. Its highest-scoring domain is Labor."
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
According to Urban Institute Debt in America (2025), Northwest Arctic Borough's auto loan delinquency indicator is at the 9th percentile. American Default Research's CDI places every other indicator in the Delinquency domain at or above the 91st percentile. The gap stands out against credit card delinquency and subprime credit share. Worth a call to the source agency or a local subject-matter contact in Kotzebue.
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Northwest Arctic Borough's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Northwest Arctic Borough's value shown alongside AK's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Northwest Arctic Borough | AK median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 65 · Rank 1,036 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 | 12% | 4% | 5% | 95th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 37% | 18% | 23% | 91st | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 45 · Rank 1,762 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 35% | 18% | 23% | 85th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 34 | 34 | 126 | 5th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 51 · Rank 1,507 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 29% | 22% | 21% | 94th | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 7% | 10% | 18% | 7th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 95 · Rank 68 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 9% | 5% | 4% | 95th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 54 · Rank 1,409 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 23% | 14% | 18% | 73rd | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 10% | 14% | 16% | 5th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 19% | 12% | 14% | 82nd | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 19% | 14% | 8% | 95th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (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), 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 Northwest Arctic Borough data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 156-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
KOTZEBUE, Alaska — Northwest Arctic Borough ranks 926th 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 62.1 out of 100 gives Northwest Arctic Borough a moderate-high county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 925 counties rank more distressed. Within Alaska, Northwest Arctic Borough ranks first 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, identifies labor as the primary driver in Northwest Arctic Borough. 9% of the labor force is unemployed — more than double the national median of 4%.
"Northwest Arctic Borough has a moderate-high county distress score. The domain mix shows whether pressure is concentrated or spread across the profile," 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 Northwest Arctic Borough's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Northwest Arctic Borough's distress score?
How does Northwest Arctic Borough compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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