Jefferson County, Idaho

County Distress Index: Healthy · 27.6 | 34,198 people · 42nd most distressed in Idaho
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Jefferson County, ID ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 27.6 — 2966th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where the job market is relatively stable with wages that keep pace with costs. Within Idaho, it ranks 42nd of 44 counties. It scores lower than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Jefferson County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 38.8 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 38.8
Unemployment Rate 16
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 90
Business Formation Rate 11
Community Vulnerability 31.5
Uninsured Rate 55
Disability Rate 8
Debt & Delinquency 29.6
Debt in Collections 18
Medical Debt 48
Student Loan Delinquency 24
Auto Loan Delinquency 13
Credit Card Delinquency 19
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 57
Housing Cost Burden 28.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 10
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 9
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 84
Homeownership Rate 9
Rent-to-Income Ratio 30
Income & Poverty 9.8
Poverty Rate 6
Income vs. State Median 16
Child Poverty Rate 7

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Jefferson County
Jefferson County, ID 27.6 Healthy —
Clark County, ID 50.6 Elevated +23.0
Madison County, ID 43.9 Normal +16.3
Butte County, ID 42.3 Normal +14.6
Fremont County, ID 41.2 Normal +13.6
Bonneville County, ID 39.1 Normal +11.5
Bingham County, ID 35.4 Normal +7.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Jefferson County
Iowa County, IA 27.7 Healthy +0.1
Roseau County, MN 27.8 Healthy +0.1
McPherson County, KS 27.3 Healthy -0.3
O'Brien County, IA 27.3 Healthy -0.3
Guthrie County, IA 28.0 Healthy +0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson County, Idaho?

    Jefferson County has a County Distress Index score of 27.6 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,966th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 42nd in Idaho out of 44 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Jefferson County?

    The primary driver of distress in Jefferson County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 38.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Jefferson County compare to neighboring counties?

    Jefferson County (27.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Clark County, ID (50.6); Madison County, ID (43.9); 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 Jefferson County?

    Jefferson County, Idaho has a population of approximately 34,198 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.