#2,156 Idaho · 2026

Clark County, Idaho

39.8 · low-moderate county distress 2,156th of 3,144 counties nationally · 801 residents How this is calculated →
The headline number
17% Clark residents
vs.
8% U.S. median

More than double the national median for uninsured rate.

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

Main Findings

Wire lede · 34 words · paste-ready

Clark County, Idaho ranks 2,156th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. Clark sits near the national median across major distress indicators. Its highest-scoring domain is Safety Net & Buffer.

Key Findings
  • 2,156th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 39.8 · low-moderate county distress, 16th in Idaho.
  • 17% of residents lack health insurance (U.S. median 8%). Uninsured rate at the 93rd percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023).
  • Labor domain score 49 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
  • Default & Legal domain score 36 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
  • Debt Burden (housing basis) domain score 28 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
Distinctive Signals
Boundary Signal

Neighbors span two CDI score labels. The 18-point drop to Jefferson County marks where the Idaho distress corridor ends.

County Distress Index cluster map. Clark County, Idaho and its neighbors colored by county distress score label.
Clark and its 5 geographic neighbors, graded by County Distress Index score. Clark County ranks 2,156th of 3,144. American Default Research
Wire summary — paste-ready, any angle 20 words

Clark County has a low-moderate county distress score. The CDI reading is a county comparison, separate from national ADI bands.

— American Default Research
Index note — for feature use 35 words

The CDI gives this county a low-moderate county distress label. The label comes from the score, while the rank compares the county with the current national cross-section. Its highest-scoring domain is Safety Net & Buffer.

— 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

4.1% +1.2 pp since 1990
Census 1989 to 2024

Poverty rate

15.1% +2.2 pp since 1989
BEA 1969 to 2024

Transfer income share

18.0% +12.6 pp since 1969
FRED/Equifax 2018 Q2 to 2019 Q1

Subprime credit population

15.0% -5.0 pp since 2018 Q2

The Indicators Behind Clark County's CDI Score

Every number traces to a public source. Clark County's value shown alongside ID'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 Clark County's national rank among all 3,144 U.S. counties for that indicator, always oriented so higher = more distressed.
Indicator Clark ID median U.S. median Pctile Source
Delinquency — domain score 15 · Rank 2,796 of 3,144
Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due 3% 3% 5% 20th Urban Institute Debt in America (2025)
Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due 3% 3% 5% 13th Urban Institute Debt in America (2025)
Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 15% 17% 23% 13th Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025)
Default & Legal — domain score 36 · Rank 2,159 of 3,144
Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections 16% 16% 23% 23rd Urban Institute Debt in America (2025)
Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 125 109 126 49th Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025)
Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 28 · Rank 2,505 of 3,144
Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income 21% 21% 21% 49th HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023)
Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent 7% 15% 18% 6th U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023)
Labor — domain score 49 · Rank 1,534 of 3,144
Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed 4% 4% 4% 49th U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026)
Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 70 · Rank 794 of 3,144
Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line 24% 14% 18% 77th U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023)
Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability 15% 15% 16% 44th U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023)
Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line 15% 11% 14% 63rd U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023)
Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage 17% 11% 8% 93rd 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.

Safety Net & Buffer Primary driver 70
Weight 20% · Rank 794 of 3,144
Labor 49
Weight 20% · Rank 1,534 of 3,144
Default & Legal 36
Weight 20% · Rank 2,159 of 3,144
Debt Burden (housing basis) 28
Weight 20% · Rank 2,505 of 3,144
Delinquency 15
Weight 20% · Rank 2,796 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 Clark 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 124-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
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DUBOIS, Idaho — Clark County ranks 2,156th 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 39.8 out of 100 gives Clark a low-moderate county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 2,155 counties rank more distressed. Within Idaho, Clark ranks 16th of 44 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 Clark 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 Clark County's CDI score, and what does it mean?

Clark County scores 39.8 out of 100 on the County Distress Index, with the score label low-moderate county distress. It ranks 2,156th of 3,144 U.S. counties and 16th of 44 Idaho counties. Higher county scores indicate more distress.

What drives Clark County's distress score?

The highest-scoring domain is Safety Net & Buffer, at a domain score of 70. Uninsured rate ranks at the 93rd percentile nationally.

How does Clark County compare to its neighbors?

Clark County's neighbors span two CDI score labels. Highest-distress neighbor: Butte County (39.70, low-moderate county distress). Lowest: Jefferson County (22.01, 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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