Missoula County, Montana

County Distress Index: Normal · 40.1 | 121,849 people · 37th most distressed in Montana
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Missoula County, MT falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 40.1 — 2339th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Montana, it ranks 37th of 56 counties. Among its 9 neighboring counties, 8 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Missoula County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 88.3 — worse than roughly 88% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 88.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 82
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 79
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 98
Homeownership Rate 93
Rent-to-Income Ratio 89
Employment & Wages 43.8
Unemployment Rate 41
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 89
Business Formation Rate 1
Community Vulnerability 26.2
Uninsured Rate 34
Disability Rate 19
Debt & Delinquency 23.7
Debt in Collections 19
Medical Debt 42
Student Loan Delinquency 18
Auto Loan Delinquency 10
Credit Card Delinquency 22
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 31
Income & Poverty 18.8
Poverty Rate 32
Income vs. State Median 15
Child Poverty Rate 9

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Missoula County compares to its 9 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Missoula County
Missoula County, MT 40.1 Normal —
Sanders County, MT 61.4 Elevated +21.3
Clearwater County, ID 56.4 Elevated +16.2
Mineral County, MT 54.5 Elevated +14.4
Lake County, MT 51.8 Elevated +11.6
Powell County, MT 49.6 Normal +9.5
Idaho County, ID 48.1 Normal +8.0
Ravalli County, MT 43.7 Normal +3.6
Granite County, MT 42.9 Normal +2.8
Flathead County, MT 39.9 Normal -0.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Missoula County
Kosciusko County, IN 40.3 Normal +0.1
Genesee County, NY 40.4 Normal +0.2
Island County, WA 39.9 Normal -0.2
Flathead County, MT 39.9 Normal -0.3
Lancaster County, SC 39.8 Normal -0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Missoula County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

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HOMEWORD, INC.
Missoula
406-532-4663
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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 Missoula 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 Missoula County, Montana?

    Missoula County has a County Distress Index score of 40.1 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,339th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 37th in Montana out of 56 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Missoula County?

    The primary driver of distress in Missoula County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 88.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Missoula County compare to neighboring counties?

    Missoula County (40.1) can be compared to its 9 neighboring counties: Sanders County, MT (61.4); Clearwater County, ID (56.4); Mineral County, MT (54.5).

  • 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 Missoula County?

    Missoula County, Montana has a population of approximately 121,849 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.