Sanders County, Montana

County Distress Index: Elevated · 61.4 | 13,684 people · 5th most distressed in Montana
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Sanders County, MT registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 61.4 — 720th 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 5th of 56 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Sanders County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 87.1 — worse than roughly 87% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 87.1
Uninsured Rate 83
Disability Rate 91
Employment & Wages 64.0
Unemployment Rate 95
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 76
Business Formation Rate 21
Income & Poverty 63.6
Poverty Rate 58
Income vs. State Median 70
Child Poverty Rate 63
Housing Cost Burden 62.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 95
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 95
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 28
Homeownership Rate 19
Rent-to-Income Ratio 77
Debt & Delinquency 29.6
Debt in Collections 21
Medical Debt 44
Student Loan Delinquency 19
Auto Loan Delinquency 50
Credit Card Delinquency 9
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 34

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Sanders County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Sanders County
Sanders County, MT 61.4 Elevated —
Shoshone County, ID 64.9 Elevated +3.5
Lincoln County, MT 62.9 Elevated +1.5
Mineral County, MT 54.5 Elevated -6.9
Lake County, MT 51.8 Elevated -9.7
Bonner County, ID 45.7 Normal -15.8
Missoula County, MT 40.1 Normal -21.3
Flathead County, MT 39.9 Normal -21.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Sanders County
Neshoba County, MS 61.4 Elevated 0.0
Sharp County, AR 61.4 Elevated -0.0
Iron County, MI 61.5 Elevated +0.0
Live Oak County, TX 61.4 Elevated -0.0
Rolette County, ND 61.4 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Sanders 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 Sanders 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 Sanders County, Montana?

    Sanders County has a County Distress Index score of 61.4 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 720th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 5th in Montana out of 56 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Sanders County?

    The primary driver of distress in Sanders County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 87.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Sanders County compare to neighboring counties?

    Sanders County (61.4) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Shoshone County, ID (64.9); Lincoln County, MT (62.9); 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 Sanders County?

    Sanders County, Montana has a population of approximately 13,684 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.