Hayes County, Nebraska

County Distress Index: Normal · 41.5 | 846 people · 31st most distressed in Nebraska
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Hayes County, NE falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 41.5 — 2249th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where unemployment is elevated, wages are low relative to housing costs, and business formation lags. Within Nebraska, it ranks 31st of 93 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 6 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Hayes County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 66.0 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 66.0
Unemployment Rate 23
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 80
Business Formation Rate 95
Income & Poverty 56.2
Poverty Rate 49
Income vs. State Median 70
Child Poverty Rate 50
Community Vulnerability 30.8
Uninsured Rate 24
Disability Rate 38
Debt & Delinquency 28.2
Debt in Collections 17
Medical Debt 29
Student Loan Delinquency 28
Auto Loan Delinquency 22
Credit Card Delinquency 29
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 44
Housing Cost Burden 26.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 5
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 5
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 25
Homeownership Rate 66
Rent-to-Income Ratio 31

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Hayes County
Hayes County, NE 41.5 Normal —
Lincoln County, NE 47.6 Normal +6.1
Hitchcock County, NE 45.8 Normal +4.3
Frontier County, NE 44.5 Normal +3.0
Dundy County, NE 32.4 Healthy -9.1
Chase County, NE 28.9 Healthy -12.6
Perkins County, NE 28.0 Healthy -13.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Hayes County
Scotland County, MO 41.5 Normal +0.0
Platte County, WY 41.4 Normal -0.1
Martin County, IN 41.4 Normal -0.1
Anderson County, KS 41.4 Normal -0.1
Doniphan County, KS 41.6 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Hayes 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 Hayes 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 Hayes County, Nebraska?

    Hayes County has a County Distress Index score of 41.5 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,249th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 31st in Nebraska out of 93 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Hayes County?

    The primary driver of distress in Hayes County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 66.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Hayes County compare to neighboring counties?

    Hayes County (41.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Lincoln County, NE (47.6); Hitchcock County, NE (45.8); Frontier County, NE (44.5).

  • 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 Hayes County?

    Hayes County, Nebraska has a population of approximately 846 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.