Hill County, Montana
Above the national median for rent-to-income ratio — and 2.5× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Steele County, ND — 12%).
Main Findings
Hill County, Montana ranks 2,070th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. Hill sits near the national median across major distress indicators. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).
- 2,070th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 41.3 · moderate-low county distress, 16th in Montana.
- A rent-to-income ratio of 30% (U.S. median 21%). Rent-to-income ratio at the 95th percentile nationally. Source: HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
- Poverty rate at 19% — national median 14%, ranked at the 82nd percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
- Subprime credit share at 24% — national median 23%, ranked at the 54th percentile. Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025).
- Default & Legal domain score 28 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
Neighbors span three CDI score labels. The 19-point drop to Liberty County marks where the Montana distress corridor ends.
Hill County has a moderate-low county distress score. The state rank and domain mix give the county-level context.
The CDI gives this county a moderate-low county distress label. The state rank and highest-scoring local domain add context that the composite alone cannot carry. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023), Hill County's disability rate indicator is at the 14th percentile. American Default Research's CDI places every other indicator in the Safety Net & Buffer domain at or above the 55th percentile. The gap stands out against the other credit indicators. Worth a call to the source agency or a local subject-matter contact in Havre.
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 Hill County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Hill County's value shown alongside MT's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Hill | MT median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 37 · Rank 2,017 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 3% | 3% | 5% | 14th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 5% | 3% | 5% | 43rd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 24% | 16% | 23% | 54th | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 28 · Rank 2,483 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 23% | 15% | 23% | 49th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 43 | 73 | 126 | 7th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 66 · Rank 892 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 | 16% | 14% | 18% | 36th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 16 · Rank 2,606 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 3% | 3% | 4% | 16th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 61 · Rank 1,158 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 22% | 17% | 18% | 69th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 12% | 16% | 16% | 14th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 19% | 13% | 14% | 82nd | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 9% | 8% | 8% | 55th | 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 Hill County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 124-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
HAVRE, Mont. — Hill County ranks 2,070th 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 41.3 out of 100 gives Hill a moderate-low county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 2,069 counties rank more distressed. Within Montana, Hill ranks 16th 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, finds Hill sitting near the national median across major distress indicators, with no single domain emerging as a clear driver.
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 Hill County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Hill County's distress score?
How does Hill County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Hill County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →