#2,757 Colorado · 2026

Grand County, Colorado

26.3 · low county distress 2,757th of 3,144 counties nationally · 15,935 residents How this is calculated →
The headline number
23% Grand residents
vs.
18% U.S. median

Above the national median for severe rent burden (50%+).

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023)

Main Findings

Wire lede · 34 words · paste-ready

Grand County, Colorado ranks 2,757th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. Grand sits near the national median across major distress indicators. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).

Key Findings
  • 2,757th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 26.3 · low county distress, 59th in Colorado.
  • 23% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent (U.S. median 18%). Severe rent burden (50%+) at the 82nd percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023).
  • Uninsured rate at 13% — national median 8%, ranked at the 82nd percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023).
  • Safety Net & Buffer domain score 22 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
  • Delinquency domain score 14 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
County Distress Index cluster map. Grand County, Colorado and its neighbors colored by county distress score label.
Grand and its 8 geographic neighbors, graded by County Distress Index score. Grand County ranks 2,757th of 3,144. American Default Research
Wire summary — paste-ready, any angle 20 words

Grand County 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

3.3% +0.2 pp since 1990
Census 1989 to 2024

Poverty rate

8.0% +1.2 pp since 1989
BEA 1969 to 2024

Transfer income share

12.0% +4.6 pp since 1969
FRED/Equifax 2014 Q2 to 2025 Q4

Subprime credit population

15.6% -2.6 pp since 2014 Q2

The Indicators Behind Grand County's CDI Score

Every number traces to a public source. Grand County's value shown alongside CO'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 Grand County's national rank among all 3,144 U.S. counties for that indicator, always oriented so higher = more distressed.
Indicator Grand CO median U.S. median Pctile Source
Delinquency — domain score 14 · Rank 2,858 of 3,144
Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due 2% 3% 5% 7th Urban Institute Debt in America (2025)
Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due 4% 4% 5% 19th Urban Institute Debt in America (2025)
Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 16% 19% 23% 15th Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025)
Default & Legal — domain score 7 · Rank 3,087 of 3,144
Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections 11% 15% 23% 5th Urban Institute Debt in America (2025)
Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 50 113 126 10th Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025)
Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 55 · Rank 1,302 of 3,144
Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income 19% 23% 21% 28th HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023)
Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent 23% 20% 18% 82nd 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% 4% 4% 34th U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026)
Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 22 · Rank 2,695 of 3,144
Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line 9% 16% 18% 8th U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023)
Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability 8% 12% 16% 5th U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023)
Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line 8% 11% 14% 8th U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023)
Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage 13% 8% 8% 82nd 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 55
Weight 20% · Rank 1,302 of 3,144
Labor 34
Weight 20% · Rank 2,026 of 3,144
Safety Net & Buffer 22
Weight 20% · Rank 2,695 of 3,144
Delinquency 14
Weight 20% · Rank 2,858 of 3,144
Default & Legal 7
Weight 20% · Rank 3,087 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 Grand County 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 126-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
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HOT SULPHUR SPRINGS, Colo. — Grand County ranks 2,757th 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 26.3 out of 100 gives Grand a low county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 2,756 counties rank more distressed. Within Colorado, Grand ranks 59th of 64 counties.

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 Grand 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.

— 30 —

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Grand County's CDI score, and what does it mean?

Grand County scores 26.3 out of 100 on the County Distress Index, with the score label low county distress. It ranks 2,757th of 3,144 U.S. counties and 59th of 64 Colorado counties. Higher county scores indicate more distress.

What drives Grand County's distress score?

The highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis), at a domain score of 55. Severe rent burden (50%+) ranks at the 82nd percentile nationally.

How does Grand County compare to its neighbors?

Grand County's neighbors span two CDI score labels. Highest-distress neighbor: Eagle County (39.22, low-moderate county distress). Lowest: Jackson County (24.74, low 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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