Hill County, Montana

County Distress Index: Elevated · 51.1 | 16,276 people · 16th most distressed in Montana
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Hill County, MT registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 51.1 — 1509th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Montana, it ranks 16th of 56 counties. Among its 3 neighboring counties, 2 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Hill County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 77.6 — worse than roughly 78% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 77.6
Poverty Rate 82
Income vs. State Median 82
Child Poverty Rate 69
Employment & Wages 57.3
Unemployment Rate 30
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 85
Business Formation Rate 56
Housing Cost Burden 56.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 19
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 36
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 53
Homeownership Rate 80
Rent-to-Income Ratio 95
Community Vulnerability 34.8
Uninsured Rate 55
Disability Rate 14
Debt & Delinquency 29.0
Debt in Collections 49
Medical Debt 44
Student Loan Delinquency 17
Auto Loan Delinquency 14
Credit Card Delinquency 43
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 7

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Hill County compares to its 3 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Hill County
Hill County, MT 51.1 Elevated —
Blaine County, MT 57.8 Elevated +6.7
Liberty County, MT 43.7 Normal -7.3
Chouteau County, MT 39.5 Normal -11.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Hill County
Morrow County, OH 51.1 Elevated +0.0
Tillamook County, OR 51.1 Elevated +0.0
Carroll County, OH 51.1 Elevated +0.0
Ohio County, KY 51.0 Elevated -0.0
Miller County, MO 51.1 Elevated +0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Hill 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 Hill 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 Hill County, Montana?

    Hill County has a County Distress Index score of 51.1 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,509th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 16th in Montana out of 56 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Hill County?

    The primary driver of distress in Hill County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 77.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Hill County compare to neighboring counties?

    Hill County (51.1) can be compared to its 3 neighboring counties: Blaine County, MT (57.8); Liberty County, MT (43.7); Chouteau County, MT (39.5).

  • 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 Hill County?

    Hill County, Montana has a population of approximately 16,276 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.