Gage County, Nebraska

County Distress Index: Normal · 39.7 | 21,634 people · 38th most distressed in Nebraska
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Gage County, NE falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 39.7 — 2367th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Nebraska, it ranks 38th of 93 counties. Among its 8 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Gage County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 49.6 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 49.6
Unemployment Rate 23
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 36
Business Formation Rate 90
Debt & Delinquency 48.2
Debt in Collections 28
Medical Debt 18
Student Loan Delinquency 64
Auto Loan Delinquency 34
Credit Card Delinquency 55
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 90
Community Vulnerability 38.4
Uninsured Rate 20
Disability Rate 57
Housing Cost Burden 34.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 31
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 27
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 40
Homeownership Rate 61
Rent-to-Income Ratio 13
Income & Poverty 27.8
Poverty Rate 23
Income vs. State Median 43
Child Poverty Rate 17

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Gage County compares to its 8 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Gage County
Gage County, NE 39.7 Normal —
Pawnee County, NE 49.6 Normal +9.9
Jefferson County, NE 46.4 Normal +6.7
Johnson County, NE 43.9 Normal +4.2
Saline County, NE 36.4 Normal -3.3
Lancaster County, NE 35.2 Normal -4.5
Marshall County, KS 34.1 Healthy -5.6
Washington County, KS 28.5 Healthy -11.2
Otoe County, NE 26.4 Healthy -13.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Gage County
Jackson County, KS 39.7 Normal +0.0
Muscatine County, IA 39.7 Normal +0.1
Clark County, WI 39.5 Normal -0.1
Clayton County, IA 39.5 Normal -0.2
Itawamba County, MS 39.5 Normal -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Gage 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 Gage 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 Gage County, Nebraska?

    Gage County has a County Distress Index score of 39.7 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,367th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 38th in Nebraska out of 93 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Gage County?

    The primary driver of distress in Gage County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 49.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Gage County compare to neighboring counties?

    Gage County (39.7) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Pawnee County, NE (49.6); Jefferson County, NE (46.4); Johnson County, NE (43.9).

  • 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 Gage County?

    Gage County, Nebraska has a population of approximately 21,634 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.