Valley County, Montana

County Distress Index: Normal · 45.0 | 7,474 people · 26th most distressed in Montana
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Valley County, MT falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 45.0 — 1992nd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Montana, it ranks 26th of 56 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 3 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Valley County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 59.2 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 59.3
Unemployment Rate 49
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 76
Business Formation Rate 53
Income & Poverty 54.1
Poverty Rate 64
Income vs. State Median 34
Child Poverty Rate 64
Housing Cost Burden 50.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 55
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 20
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 82
Homeownership Rate 31
Rent-to-Income Ratio 65
Community Vulnerability 37.8
Uninsured Rate 34
Disability Rate 42
Debt & Delinquency 23.0
Debt in Collections 18
Medical Debt 46
Student Loan Delinquency 19
Auto Loan Delinquency 41
Credit Card Delinquency 9
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 Valley County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Valley County
Valley County, MT 45.0 Normal —
Roosevelt County, MT 64.2 Elevated +19.2
Garfield County, MT 47.8 Normal +2.9
Phillips County, MT 44.1 Normal -0.9
McCone County, MT 38.1 Normal -6.9
Daniels County, MT 26.5 Healthy -18.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Valley County
Roberts County, TX 45.0 Normal 0.0
Cheyenne County, NE 45.0 Normal -0.0
Shackelford County, TX 44.9 Normal -0.0
Carlisle County, KY 45.0 Normal +0.1
Charles Mix County, SD 44.9 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Valley 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 Valley 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 Valley County, Montana?

    Valley County has a County Distress Index score of 45.0 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,992nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 26th in Montana out of 56 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Valley County?

    The primary driver of distress in Valley County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 59.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Valley County compare to neighboring counties?

    Valley County (45.0) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Roosevelt County, MT (64.2); Garfield County, MT (47.8); Phillips County, MT (44.1).

  • 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 Valley County?

    Valley County, Montana has a population of approximately 7,474 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.