Franklin County, Nebraska

County Distress Index: Normal · 38.2 | 2,825 people · 43rd most distressed in Nebraska
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Franklin County, NE falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 38.2 — 2461st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where health coverage gaps and disability rates are moderately elevated. Within Nebraska, it ranks 43rd of 93 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Franklin County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 56.2 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 56.2
Uninsured Rate 37
Disability Rate 75
Income & Poverty 53.7
Poverty Rate 42
Income vs. State Median 75
Child Poverty Rate 44
Employment & Wages 38.9
Unemployment Rate 10
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 72
Business Formation Rate 34
Debt & Delinquency 24.4
Debt in Collections 15
Medical Debt 43
Student Loan Delinquency 28
Auto Loan Delinquency 22
Credit Card Delinquency 33
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 5
Housing Cost Burden 18.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 8
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 20
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 5
Homeownership Rate 21
Rent-to-Income Ratio 37

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Franklin County
Franklin County, NE 38.2 Normal —
Smith County, KS 45.3 Normal +7.0
Webster County, NE 36.4 Normal -1.9
Phillips County, KS 33.5 Healthy -4.7
Harlan County, NE 32.1 Healthy -6.2
Kearney County, NE 25.7 Healthy -12.5
Phelps County, NE 24.6 Healthy -13.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Franklin County
Republic County, KS 38.3 Normal +0.0
Barber County, KS 38.3 Normal +0.1
Burt County, NE 38.1 Normal -0.1
McCone County, MT 38.1 Normal -0.1
Keya Paha County, NE 38.4 Normal +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Franklin 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 Franklin 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 Franklin County, Nebraska?

    Franklin County has a County Distress Index score of 38.2 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,461st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 43rd in Nebraska out of 93 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Franklin County?

    The primary driver of distress in Franklin County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 56.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Franklin County compare to neighboring counties?

    Franklin County (38.2) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Smith County, KS (45.3); Webster County, NE (36.4); Phillips County, KS (33.5).

  • 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 Franklin County?

    Franklin County, Nebraska has a population of approximately 2,825 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.