Box Butte County, Nebraska

County Distress Index: Normal · 42.9 | 10,692 people · 26th most distressed in Nebraska
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Box Butte County, NE falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 42.9 — 2150th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Nebraska, it ranks 26th of 93 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Box Butte County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 47.1 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 47.1
Unemployment Rate 27
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 50
Business Formation Rate 65
Debt & Delinquency 46.5
Debt in Collections 34
Medical Debt 41
Student Loan Delinquency 28
Auto Loan Delinquency 42
Credit Card Delinquency 55
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 78
Community Vulnerability 46.3
Uninsured Rate 48
Disability Rate 44
Income & Poverty 38.5
Poverty Rate 38
Income vs. State Median 44
Child Poverty Rate 34
Housing Cost Burden 36.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 45
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 45
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 33
Homeownership Rate 44
Rent-to-Income Ratio 14

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Box Butte County
Box Butte County, NE 42.9 Normal —
Dawes County, NE 57.1 Elevated +14.2
Scotts Bluff County, NE 56.9 Elevated +14.0
Sioux County, NE 46.7 Normal +3.8
Sheridan County, NE 45.5 Normal +2.5
Morrill County, NE 37.6 Normal -5.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Box Butte County
Dawson County, GA 43.0 Normal +0.0
Ellis County, KS 43.0 Normal +0.1
St. James Parish, LA 43.0 Normal +0.1
Green Lake County, WI 43.1 Normal +0.1
Nobles County, MN 43.2 Normal +0.2

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Box Butte County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Box Butte County

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Nebraska State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Nebraska State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service 402-475-7091

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Box Butte County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid of Nebraska 1-877-250-2016

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Box Butte County, Nebraska?

    Box Butte County has a County Distress Index score of 42.9 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,150th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 26th in Nebraska out of 93 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Box Butte County?

    The primary driver of distress in Box Butte County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 47.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Box Butte County compare to neighboring counties?

    Box Butte County (42.9) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Dawes County, NE (57.1); Scotts Bluff County, NE (56.9); Sioux County, NE (46.7).

  • 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 Box Butte County?

    Box Butte County, Nebraska has a population of approximately 10,692 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.