Meagher County, Montana

County Distress Index: Normal · 39.9 | 2,071 people · 38th most distressed in Montana
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Meagher County, MT falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 39.9 — 2354th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where income and poverty levels indicate moderate economic strain. Within Montana, it ranks 38th of 56 counties. Among its 8 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Meagher County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 56.5 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 56.5
Poverty Rate 52
Income vs. State Median 68
Child Poverty Rate 49
Community Vulnerability 44.8
Uninsured Rate 5
Disability Rate 85
Employment & Wages 40.9
Unemployment Rate 23
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 95
Business Formation Rate 5
Housing Cost Burden 36.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 5
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 5
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 70
Homeownership Rate 9
Rent-to-Income Ratio 95
Debt & Delinquency 20.7
Debt in Collections 5
Medical Debt 46
Student Loan Delinquency 19
Auto Loan Delinquency 16
Credit Card Delinquency 16
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 21

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Meagher County
Meagher County, MT 39.9 Normal —
Wheatland County, MT 53.7 Elevated +13.7
Cascade County, MT 47.5 Normal +7.5
Park County, MT 41.5 Normal +1.6
Broadwater County, MT 37.8 Normal -2.2
Judith Basin County, MT 37.1 Normal -2.9
Lewis and Clark County, MT 35.9 Normal -4.0
Gallatin County, MT 34.6 Healthy -5.4
Sweet Grass County, MT 27.9 Healthy -12.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Meagher County
Power County, ID 40.0 Normal +0.0
Edwards County, KS 40.0 Normal +0.0
Mercer County, MO 40.0 Normal +0.1
Thomas County, NE 39.9 Normal -0.1
Yuma County, CO 39.9 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Meagher 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 Meagher 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 Meagher County, Montana?

    Meagher County has a County Distress Index score of 39.9 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,354th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 38th in Montana out of 56 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Meagher County?

    The primary driver of distress in Meagher County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 56.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Meagher County compare to neighboring counties?

    Meagher County (39.9) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Wheatland County, MT (53.7); Cascade County, MT (47.5); Park County, MT (41.5).

  • 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 Meagher County?

    Meagher County, Montana has a population of approximately 2,071 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.