Dawson County, Montana

County Distress Index: Normal · 43.3 | 8,810 people · 31st most distressed in Montana
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Dawson County, MT falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 43.3 — 2130th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Montana, it ranks 31st of 56 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 4 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Dawson County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 59.3 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 59.3
Unemployment Rate 34
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 80
Business Formation Rate 64
Housing Cost Burden 43.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 30
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 43
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 7
Homeownership Rate 60
Rent-to-Income Ratio 79
Community Vulnerability 43.2
Uninsured Rate 22
Disability Rate 64
Income & Poverty 38.7
Poverty Rate 43
Income vs. State Median 45
Child Poverty Rate 28
Debt & Delinquency 31.7
Debt in Collections 33
Medical Debt 77
Student Loan Delinquency 19
Auto Loan Delinquency 6
Credit Card Delinquency 29
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 26

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Dawson County compares to its 4 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Dawson County
Dawson County, MT 43.3 Normal —
Wibaux County, MT 46.7 Normal +3.4
Prairie County, MT 46.5 Normal +3.1
McCone County, MT 38.1 Normal -5.2
Richland County, MT 28.9 Healthy -14.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Dawson County
Garfield County, UT 43.4 Normal +0.1
San Juan County, CO 43.2 Normal -0.1
Benson County, ND 43.5 Normal +0.2
Swift County, MN 43.5 Normal +0.2
Sullivan County, PA 43.1 Normal -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Dawson County

Find an Attorney

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 Dawson County residents at no cost.

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

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Montana →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Dawson County has a County Distress Index score of 43.3 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,130th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 31st in Montana out of 56 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Dawson County?

    The primary driver of distress in Dawson County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 59.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Dawson County compare to neighboring counties?

    Dawson County (43.3) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Wibaux County, MT (46.7); Prairie County, MT (46.5); McCone County, MT (38.1).

  • 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 Dawson County?

    Dawson County, Montana has a population of approximately 8,810 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.