Phillips County, Montana

County Distress Index: Normal · 44.1 | 4,249 people · 27th most distressed in Montana
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Phillips County, MT falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 44.1 — 2066th 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 27th of 56 counties. It scores lower than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Phillips County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 72.2 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 72.2
Poverty Rate 72
Income vs. State Median 75
Child Poverty Rate 70
Employment & Wages 52.9
Unemployment Rate 80
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 72
Business Formation Rate 7
Community Vulnerability 43.3
Uninsured Rate 45
Disability Rate 42
Housing Cost Burden 37.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 20
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 9
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 52
Homeownership Rate 48
Rent-to-Income Ratio 58
Debt & Delinquency 15.0
Debt in Collections 5
Medical Debt 38
Student Loan Delinquency 19
Auto Loan Delinquency 16
Credit Card Delinquency 7
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 5

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Phillips County
Phillips County, MT 44.1 Normal —
Blaine County, MT 57.8 Elevated +13.6
Petroleum County, MT 47.9 Normal +3.8
Garfield County, MT 47.8 Normal +3.7
Fergus County, MT 45.0 Normal +0.9
Valley County, MT 45.0 Normal +0.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Phillips County
Carroll County, MO 44.0 Normal -0.1
Mathews County, VA 44.2 Normal +0.1
Pleasants County, WV 44.2 Normal +0.1
Lincoln County, KS 44.2 Normal +0.1
Ochiltree County, TX 44.2 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Phillips 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 Phillips 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 Phillips County, Montana?

    Phillips County has a County Distress Index score of 44.1 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,066th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 27th in Montana out of 56 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Phillips County?

    The primary driver of distress in Phillips County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 72.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Phillips County compare to neighboring counties?

    Phillips County (44.1) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Blaine County, MT (57.8); Petroleum County, MT (47.9); Garfield County, MT (47.8).

  • 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 Phillips County?

    Phillips County, Montana has a population of approximately 4,249 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.