Cedar County, Nebraska

County Distress Index: Healthy · 23.5 | 8,262 people · 87th most distressed in Nebraska
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Cedar County, NE ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 23.5 — 3066th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where the job market is relatively stable with wages that keep pace with costs. Within Nebraska, it ranks 87th of 93 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Cedar County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 42.3 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 42.3
Unemployment Rate 10
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 58
Business Formation Rate 59
Housing Cost Burden 22.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 14
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 22
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 41
Homeownership Rate 25
Rent-to-Income Ratio 8
Community Vulnerability 21.9
Uninsured Rate 36
Disability Rate 8
Income & Poverty 17.0
Poverty Rate 10
Income vs. State Median 33
Child Poverty Rate 8
Debt & Delinquency 14.1
Debt in Collections 5
Medical Debt 25
Student Loan Delinquency 28
Auto Loan Delinquency 5
Credit Card Delinquency 7
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 15

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Cedar County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Cedar County
Cedar County, NE 23.5 Healthy —
Clay County, SD 41.2 Normal +17.8
Wayne County, NE 38.0 Normal +14.5
Knox County, NE 37.0 Normal +13.6
Yankton County, SD 28.8 Healthy +5.3
Dixon County, NE 24.2 Healthy +0.8
Pierce County, NE 23.3 Healthy -0.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Cedar County
Pierce County, NE 23.3 Healthy -0.2
Ida County, IA 23.6 Healthy +0.2
Fillmore County, NE 23.2 Healthy -0.3
Clay County, NE 23.8 Healthy +0.4
Polk County, NE 23.1 Healthy -0.4

Download Data

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

Find Help in Cedar County

Find an Attorney

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 Cedar County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid of Nebraska 1-877-250-2016

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Nebraska →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Cedar County, Nebraska?

    Cedar County has a County Distress Index score of 23.5 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 3,066th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 87th in Nebraska out of 93 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Cedar County?

    The primary driver of distress in Cedar County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 42.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Cedar County compare to neighboring counties?

    Cedar County (23.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Clay County, SD (41.2); Wayne County, NE (38.0); Knox County, NE (37.0).

  • 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 Cedar County?

    Cedar County, Nebraska has a population of approximately 8,262 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.