Big Horn County, Montana
Above the national median for unemployment — and 5.7× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Loving County, TX — 1%).
Main Findings
Big Horn County, Montana ranks 713th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 6% of the labor force is unemployed — above the national median of 4%. Its highest-scoring domain is Labor.
- 713th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 66.0 · moderate-high county distress, 2nd in Montana.
- 6% of the labor force is unemployed (U.S. median 4%). Unemployment at the 93rd percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026).
- Uninsured rate at 18% — national median 8%, ranked at the 95th percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023).
- Auto loan delinquency at 12% — national median 5%, ranked at the 95th percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Rent-to-income ratio at 30% — national median 21%, ranked at the 95th percentile. Source: HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
Neighbors span three CDI score labels. The 38-point drop to Powder River County marks where the Montana distress corridor ends.
Big Horn County 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), Big Horn County's credit card delinquency indicator is at the 23rd percentile. American Default Research's CDI places every other indicator in the Delinquency domain at or above the 82nd percentile. The gap stands out against auto loan delinquency. Worth a call to the source agency or a local subject-matter contact in Hardin.
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 Big Horn County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Big Horn County's value shown alongside MT's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Big Horn | MT median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 67 · Rank 981 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 12% | 3% | 5% | 95th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 4% | 3% | 5% | 23rd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 33% | 16% | 23% | 82nd | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 46 · Rank 1,714 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 36% | 15% | 23% | 87th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 24 | 73 | 126 | 5th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 50 · Rank 1,521 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 30% | 26% | 21% | 95th | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 7% | 14% | 18% | 6th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 93 · Rank 197 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 6% | 3% | 4% | 93rd | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 73 · Rank 661 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 24% | 17% | 18% | 76th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 13% | 16% | 16% | 21st | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 22% | 13% | 14% | 90th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 18% | 8% | 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 Big Horn County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 130-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
HARDIN, Mont. — Big Horn County ranks 713th 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 66.0 out of 100 gives Big Horn a moderate-high county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 712 counties rank more distressed. Within Montana, Big Horn ranks second of 56 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, identifies labor as the primary driver in Big Horn. 6% of the labor force is unemployed — above the national median of 4%.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Big Horn County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Big Horn County's distress score?
How does Big Horn County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Big Horn County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →