Nebraska County Distress Index
Financial distress scores for all 93 counties in Nebraska, scored 0–100 across five domains. Mean score: 27.6.
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-26
Nebraska Snapshot
93 Counties Scored
27.6 Mean Score
26.3 Median Score
53.0 Thurston County Most Distressed
10.9 Cedar County Least Distressed
1 moderate county distress5 moderate-low county distress32 low-moderate county distress35 low county distress20 very low county distress
Score Label Distribution Nebraska County Map
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Low county distress Moderate-low county distress Moderate county distress High county distress Extreme county distress
All 93 Nebraska counties colored by county distress score range. Hover for details; click released counties for full reports.
Most & Least Distressed
Most Distressed
Least Distressed
Score Distribution
How Nebraska's 93 county scores are distributed across the 0–100 scale.
All Nebraska Counties
93 counties ranked by distress score. Click column headers to sort.
| State Rank | Nat'l Rank | County | Score | Score Label | Primary Driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1,422 | Thurston County | 53.0 | moderate county distress | Delinquency |
| 2 | 1,595 | Scotts Bluff County | 49.8 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 3 | 1,692 | Dawson County | 48.2 | moderate-low county distress | Labor |
| 4 | 2,028 | Hitchcock County | 42.0 | moderate-low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 5 | 2,044 | Johnson County | 41.8 | moderate-low county distress | Delinquency |
| 6 | 2,058 | Dawes County | 41.6 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 7 | 2,159 | Douglas County | 39.7 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 8 | 2,191 | Loup County | 39.1 | low-moderate county distress | Labor |
| 9 | 2,216 | Pawnee County | 38.8 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 10 | 2,231 | Hall County | 38.3 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 11 | 2,243 | Red Willow County | 38.0 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 12 | 2,263 | Dakota County | 37.6 | low-moderate county distress | Delinquency |
| 13 | 2,287 | Box Butte County | 37.2 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 14 | 2,299 | Furnas County | 36.9 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 15 | 2,315 | Kimball County | 36.6 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 16 | 2,350 | McPherson County | 35.9 | low-moderate county distress | Labor |
| 17 | 2,353 | Adams County | 35.8 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 18 | 2,363 | Lincoln County | 35.7 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 19 | 2,367 | Keya Paha County | 35.6 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 20 | 2,415 | Arthur County | 34.5 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 21 | 2,423 | Boyd County | 34.4 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 22 | 2,432 | Garden County | 34.2 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 23 | 2,436 | Thomas County | 34.2 | low-moderate county distress | Labor |
| 24 | 2,439 | Hooker County | 34.1 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 25 | 2,460 | Banner County | 33.6 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 26 | 2,465 | Logan County | 33.5 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 27 | 2,503 | Webster County | 32.7 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 28 | 2,512 | Dodge County | 32.6 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 29 | 2,521 | Nemaha County | 32.4 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 30 | 2,532 | Blaine County | 32.1 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 31 | 2,551 | Cheyenne County | 31.6 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 32 | 2,557 | Brown County | 31.5 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 33 | 2,558 | Garfield County | 31.5 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 34 | 2,568 | Gage County | 31.3 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 35 | 2,571 | Jefferson County | 31.2 | low-moderate county distress | Default & Legal |
| 36 | 2,578 | Keith County | 31.0 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 37 | 2,603 | Morrill County | 30.5 | low-moderate county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 38 | 2,617 | Lancaster County | 30.2 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 39 | 2,634 | Sherman County | 29.7 | low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 40 | 2,635 | Frontier County | 29.7 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 41 | 2,656 | Stanton County | 29.0 | low county distress | Delinquency |
| 42 | 2,677 | Deuel County | 28.4 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 43 | 2,680 | Saline County | 28.3 | low county distress | Delinquency |
| 44 | 2,685 | Richardson County | 28.2 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 45 | 2,692 | Valley County | 28.1 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 46 | 2,712 | Burt County | 27.9 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 47 | 2,758 | Cherry County | 26.3 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 48 | 2,781 | Sheridan County | 25.6 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 49 | 2,786 | Platte County | 25.5 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 50 | 2,788 | Madison County | 25.5 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 51 | 2,789 | Sioux County | 25.5 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 52 | 2,791 | Hayes County | 25.4 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 53 | 2,796 | Chase County | 25.2 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 54 | 2,797 | Wheeler County | 25.2 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 55 | 2,810 | Colfax County | 24.9 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 56 | 2,820 | Franklin County | 24.7 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 57 | 2,824 | Rock County | 24.6 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 58 | 2,827 | York County | 24.6 | low county distress | Delinquency |
| 59 | 2,843 | Butler County | 24.2 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 60 | 2,854 | Howard County | 23.8 | low county distress | Delinquency |
| 61 | 2,860 | Buffalo County | 23.6 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 62 | 2,868 | Merrick County | 23.3 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 63 | 2,877 | Harlan County | 23.0 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 64 | 2,879 | Dundy County | 23.0 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 65 | 2,889 | Nuckolls County | 22.7 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 66 | 2,891 | Gosper County | 22.6 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 67 | 2,896 | Fillmore County | 22.4 | low county distress | Delinquency |
| 68 | 2,897 | Nance County | 22.4 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 69 | 2,898 | Greeley County | 22.4 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 70 | 2,903 | Thayer County | 22.2 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 71 | 2,946 | Custer County | 20.8 | low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 72 | 2,956 | Phelps County | 20.5 | low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 73 | 2,966 | Cass County | 20.1 | low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 74 | 2,976 | Grant County | 19.9 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 75 | 2,981 | Wayne County | 19.8 | very low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 76 | 2,986 | Antelope County | 19.7 | very low county distress | Delinquency |
| 77 | 2,994 | Knox County | 19.4 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 78 | 3,002 | Otoe County | 19.2 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 79 | 3,003 | Sarpy County | 19.2 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 80 | 3,027 | Perkins County | 17.3 | very low county distress | Delinquency |
| 81 | 3,035 | Seward County | 16.9 | very low county distress | Delinquency |
| 82 | 3,040 | Washington County | 16.5 | very low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 83 | 3,043 | Kearney County | 16.4 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 84 | 3,047 | Dixon County | 16.3 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 85 | 3,059 | Pierce County | 15.6 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 86 | 3,069 | Cuming County | 15.2 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 87 | 3,074 | Clay County | 14.7 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 88 | 3,077 | Polk County | 14.6 | very low county distress | Delinquency |
| 89 | 3,094 | Boone County | 13.4 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 90 | 3,095 | Holt County | 13.4 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 91 | 3,096 | Saunders County | 13.4 | very low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 92 | 3,121 | Hamilton County | 11.8 | very low county distress | Default & Legal |
| 93 | 3,128 | Cedar County | 10.9 | very low county distress | Safety Net & Buffer |
How County Scores Work
Each county is scored 0–100 using five equal-weighted domains. Each domain averages its member indicators' county ranks, and the composite is the mean of those domain scores. Higher scores indicate greater household financial distress.
extreme county distress — 0 Nebraska counties
very high county distress — 0 Nebraska counties
high county distress — 0 Nebraska counties
moderate-high county distress — 0 Nebraska counties
moderate county distress — 1 Nebraska county
moderate-low county distress — 5 Nebraska counties
low-moderate county distress — 32 Nebraska counties
low county distress — 35 Nebraska counties
very low county distress — 20 Nebraska counties
exceptionally low county distress — 0 Nebraska counties