Musselshell County, Montana

County Distress Index: Elevated · 56.7 | 5,308 people · 9th most distressed in Montana
American Default Research

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Musselshell County, MT registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 56.7 — 1091st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where uninsured and disability rates are well above the national average. Within Montana, it ranks 9th of 56 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Musselshell County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 70.0 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 70.0
Uninsured Rate 58
Disability Rate 82
Income & Poverty 69.6
Poverty Rate 69
Income vs. State Median 65
Child Poverty Rate 74
Debt & Delinquency 56.6
Debt in Collections 46
Medical Debt 84
Student Loan Delinquency 19
Auto Loan Delinquency 94
Credit Card Delinquency 63
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 33
Employment & Wages 52.5
Unemployment Rate 88
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 57
Business Formation Rate 12
Housing Cost Burden 35.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 17
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 11
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 44
Homeownership Rate 9
Rent-to-Income Ratio 93

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Musselshell County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Musselshell County
Musselshell County, MT 56.7 Elevated —
Rosebud County, MT 57.6 Elevated +0.9
Golden Valley County, MT 55.5 Elevated -1.2
Petroleum County, MT 47.9 Normal -8.9
Fergus County, MT 45.0 Normal -11.7
Yellowstone County, MT 41.1 Normal -15.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Musselshell County
West Carroll Parish, LA 56.5 Elevated -0.2
Harney County, OR 56.4 Elevated -0.3
Clearwater County, ID 56.4 Elevated -0.3
Covington city, VA 57.1 Elevated +0.4
Dawes County, NE 57.1 Elevated +0.4

Download Data

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

Find Help in Musselshell County

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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 Musselshell 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 Musselshell County, Montana?

    Musselshell County has a County Distress Index score of 56.7 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,091st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 9th in Montana out of 56 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Musselshell County?

    The primary driver of distress in Musselshell County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 70.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Musselshell County compare to neighboring counties?

    Musselshell County (56.7) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Rosebud County, MT (57.6); Golden Valley County, MT (55.5); Petroleum County, MT (47.9).

  • 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 Musselshell County?

    Musselshell County, Montana has a population of approximately 5,308 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.