Custer County, Idaho

County Distress Index: Elevated · 52.7 | 4,523 people · 8th most distressed in Idaho
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Custer County, ID registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 52.7 — 1402nd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where uninsured and disability rates are well above the national average. Within Idaho, it ranks 8th of 44 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Custer County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 90.2 — worse than roughly 90% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 90.2
Uninsured Rate 85
Disability Rate 95
Income & Poverty 64.5
Poverty Rate 59
Income vs. State Median 81
Child Poverty Rate 53
Employment & Wages 58.7
Unemployment Rate 87
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 73
Business Formation Rate 17
Housing Cost Burden 28.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 15
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 18
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 18
Homeownership Rate 31
Rent-to-Income Ratio 60
Debt & Delinquency 21.4
Debt in Collections 5
Medical Debt 33
Student Loan Delinquency 24
Auto Loan Delinquency 20
Credit Card Delinquency 5
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 41

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Custer County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Custer County
Custer County, ID 52.7 Elevated —
Elmore County, ID 52.7 Elevated +0.0
Lemhi County, ID 47.1 Normal -5.5
Butte County, ID 42.3 Normal -10.4
Boise County, ID 41.4 Normal -11.3
Valley County, ID 27.2 Healthy -25.5
Blaine County, ID 26.5 Healthy -26.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Custer County
Schoolcraft County, MI 52.6 Elevated -0.1
Alfalfa County, OK 52.6 Elevated -0.1
Mellette County, SD 52.4 Elevated -0.3
Roger Mills County, OK 52.3 Elevated -0.3
Chattahoochee County, GA 52.3 Elevated -0.3

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Custer County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Custer County

Find an Attorney

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

Idaho State Bar Lawyer Referral Service 208-334-4500

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Custer County residents at no cost.

Idaho Legal Aid Services, Inc. 208-336-8980
Idaho Volunteer Lawyers Program 208-334-4500

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Custer County, Idaho?

    Custer County has a County Distress Index score of 52.7 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,402nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 8th in Idaho out of 44 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Custer County?

    The primary driver of distress in Custer County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 90.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Custer County compare to neighboring counties?

    Custer County (52.7) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Elmore County, ID (52.7); Lemhi County, ID (47.1); Butte County, ID (42.3).

  • 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 Custer County?

    Custer County, Idaho has a population of approximately 4,523 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.