Dawes County, Nebraska

County Distress Index: Elevated · 57.1 | 8,133 people · 1st most distressed in Nebraska
American Default Research

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Dawes County, NE registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 57.1 — 1075th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Nebraska, it ranks 1st of 93 counties. Among its 4 neighboring counties, 3 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Dawes County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 80.2 — worse than roughly 80% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 80.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 72
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 95
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 88
Homeownership Rate 83
Rent-to-Income Ratio 63
Income & Poverty 65.8
Poverty Rate 65
Income vs. State Median 85
Child Poverty Rate 47
Employment & Wages 60.4
Unemployment Rate 27
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 79
Business Formation Rate 76
Community Vulnerability 49.8
Uninsured Rate 66
Disability Rate 34
Debt & Delinquency 29.4
Debt in Collections 17
Medical Debt 32
Student Loan Delinquency 28
Auto Loan Delinquency 63
Credit Card Delinquency 32
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 Dawes County compares to its 4 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Dawes County
Dawes County, NE 57.1 Elevated —
Fall River County, SD 60.9 Elevated +3.8
Sioux County, NE 46.7 Normal -10.5
Sheridan County, NE 45.5 Normal -11.7
Box Butte County, NE 42.9 Normal -14.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Dawes County
Sierra County, CA 57.2 Elevated +0.0
Covington city, VA 57.1 Elevated -0.0
Crittenden County, KY 57.3 Elevated +0.1
Niobrara County, WY 57.4 Elevated +0.2
Lincoln County, NV 57.5 Elevated +0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Dawes County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Dawes County.

HIGH PLAINS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Chadron
308-432-4346
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingFair Housing

See all counselors in Nebraska →

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 Dawes 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Dawes County has a County Distress Index score of 57.1 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,075th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 1st in Nebraska out of 93 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Dawes County?

    The primary driver of distress in Dawes County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 80.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Dawes County compare to neighboring counties?

    Dawes County (57.1) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Fall River County, SD (60.9); Sioux County, NE (46.7); Sheridan County, NE (45.5).

  • 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 Dawes County?

    Dawes County, Nebraska has a population of approximately 8,133 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.