Wheatland County, Montana
More than double the national median for uninsured rate.
Main Findings
Wheatland County, Montana ranks 1,965th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. Wheatland sits near the national median across major distress indicators.
- 1,965th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Second-least distressed fifth, 12th in Montana.
- 18% of residents lack health insurance (U.S. median 8%). Uninsured rate at the 94th percentile nationally.
- Unemployment at 4% — national median 4%, ranked at the 58th percentile.
- Rent-to-income ratio at 28% — national median 21%, ranked at the 92nd percentile.
- Bankruptcy filing rate at 146 — national median 126, ranked at the 59th percentile.
Neighbors span two CDI distress fifths. The 20-point drop to Sweet Grass County marks where the Montana distress corridor ends.
"Wheatland County ranks in the second-least distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The state rank and domain mix give the county-level context."
"The CDI places this county in the second-least distressed fifth nationally. The rank still belongs in context with state position and the highest-scoring local domain."
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
Wheatland County's disability rate indicator is at the 14th percentile — while every other indicator in the safety_net_buffer domain sits at or above the 16th percentile. The gap stands out against median household income and uninsured rate. Worth a call to Urban Institute or a local credit counselor in Harlowton.
The Indicators Behind Wheatland County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Wheatland County's value shown alongside MT's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Wheatland | MT median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 13 · Rank 2,875 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 3% | 3% | 5% | 16th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 3% | 3% | 5% | 16th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 13% | 16% | 23% | 7th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 38 · Rank 2,086 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 15% | 15% | 23% | 17th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 146 | 73 | 126 | 59th | US Courts F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 48 · Rank 1,620 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 28% | 26% | 21% | 92nd | HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 2% | 14% | 18% | 5th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 58 · Rank 1,300 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 4% | 3% | 4% | 58th | BLS LAUS (Dec 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 60 · Rank 1,159 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 25% | 17% | 18% | 81st | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 12% | 16% | 16% | 14th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 18% | 13% | 14% | 80th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers | 30% | 25% | 27% | 64th | BEA Regional Personal Income (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 18% | 8% | 8% | 94th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Business Formation Statistics), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2023 to 2025 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Wheatland County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 141-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
HARLOWTON, Mont. — Wheatland County ranks 1,965th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 44 out of 100 places Wheatland in the second-least distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 1,964 counties rank more distressed. Within Montana, Wheatland ranks 12th of 56 counties.
The index, which draws on 16 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, finds Wheatland sitting near the national median across major distress indicators, with no single domain emerging as a clear driver.
"Wheatland County ranks in the second-least distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The state rank and domain mix give the county-level context," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Wheatland County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Wheatland County's distress score?
How does Wheatland County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Wheatland County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →