Kearney County, Nebraska

County Distress Index: Healthy · 25.7 | 6,770 people · 80th most distressed in Nebraska
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Kearney County, NE ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 25.7 — 3025th 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 80th 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. Kearney County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 41.6 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 41.6
Unemployment Rate 6
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 45
Business Formation Rate 74
Debt & Delinquency 35.4
Debt in Collections 18
Medical Debt 66
Student Loan Delinquency 28
Auto Loan Delinquency 24
Credit Card Delinquency 38
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 38
Housing Cost Burden 28.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 5
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 17
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 87
Homeownership Rate 27
Rent-to-Income Ratio 5
Community Vulnerability 12.5
Uninsured Rate 20
Disability Rate 5
Income & Poverty 11.0
Poverty Rate 7
Income vs. State Median 18
Child Poverty Rate 8

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Kearney County
Kearney County, NE 25.7 Healthy —
Adams County, NE 40.7 Normal +15.0
Franklin County, NE 38.2 Normal +12.5
Webster County, NE 36.4 Normal +10.6
Buffalo County, NE 34.1 Healthy +8.3
Harlan County, NE 32.1 Healthy +6.3
Phelps County, NE 24.6 Healthy -1.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Kearney County
Marshall County, MN 25.7 Healthy -0.1
Douglas County, SD 25.8 Healthy +0.1
Dickey County, ND 25.8 Healthy +0.1
Denali Borough, AK 25.6 Healthy -0.1
Haakon County, SD 25.6 Healthy -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Kearney 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 Kearney 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 Kearney County, Nebraska?

    Kearney County has a County Distress Index score of 25.7 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 3,025th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 80th in Nebraska out of 93 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Kearney County?

    The primary driver of distress in Kearney County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 41.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Kearney County compare to neighboring counties?

    Kearney County (25.7) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Adams County, NE (40.7); Franklin County, NE (38.2); Webster County, NE (36.4).

  • 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 Kearney County?

    Kearney County, Nebraska has a population of approximately 6,770 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.