Chouteau County, Montana

County Distress Index: Normal · 39.5 | 5,847 people · 40th most distressed in Montana
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Chouteau County, MT falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 39.5 — 2378th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where income and poverty levels indicate moderate economic strain. Within Montana, it ranks 40th of 56 counties. Among its 8 neighboring counties, 6 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Chouteau County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 53.0 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 53.0
Poverty Rate 61
Income vs. State Median 40
Child Poverty Rate 57
Employment & Wages 51.1
Unemployment Rate 19
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 92
Business Formation Rate 42
Housing Cost Burden 36.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 7
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 6
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 5
Homeownership Rate 82
Rent-to-Income Ratio 82
Debt & Delinquency 31.4
Debt in Collections 50
Medical Debt 37
Student Loan Delinquency 19
Auto Loan Delinquency 12
Credit Card Delinquency 41
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 29
Community Vulnerability 25.5
Uninsured Rate 28
Disability Rate 23

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Chouteau County compares to its 8 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Chouteau County
Chouteau County, MT 39.5 Normal —
Blaine County, MT 57.8 Elevated +18.2
Pondera County, MT 52.1 Elevated +12.6
Hill County, MT 51.1 Elevated +11.6
Cascade County, MT 47.5 Normal +8.0
Fergus County, MT 45.0 Normal +5.5
Liberty County, MT 43.7 Normal +4.2
Judith Basin County, MT 37.1 Normal -2.4
Teton County, MT 36.8 Normal -2.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Chouteau County
Beaver County, UT 39.5 Normal +0.0
Kiowa County, CO 39.4 Normal -0.1
Shelby County, MO 39.6 Normal +0.1
Greene County, IA 39.6 Normal +0.1
Ringgold County, IA 39.7 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Chouteau County

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

State Bar of Montana Lawyer Referral Service 406-442-7660

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Chouteau County residents at no cost.

Montana Legal Services Association (MLSA) 1-800-666-6899

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Chouteau County, Montana?

    Chouteau County has a County Distress Index score of 39.5 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,378th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 40th in Montana out of 56 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Chouteau County?

    The primary driver of distress in Chouteau County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 53.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Chouteau County compare to neighboring counties?

    Chouteau County (39.5) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Blaine County, MT (57.8); Pondera County, MT (52.1); Hill County, MT (51.1).

  • 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 Chouteau County?

    Chouteau County, Montana has a population of approximately 5,847 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.