McPherson County, Nebraska

County Distress Index: Normal · 42.0 | 383 people · 29th most distressed in Nebraska
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McPherson County, NE falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 42.0 — 2214th 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 29th of 93 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. McPherson County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 75.7 — worse than roughly 76% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 75.7
Unemployment Rate 67
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 66
Business Formation Rate 95
Income & Poverty 58.1
Poverty Rate 38
Income vs. State Median 85
Child Poverty Rate 52
Housing Cost Burden 42.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 5
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 5
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 94
Homeownership Rate 57
Rent-to-Income Ratio 52
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
Community Vulnerability 5.2
Uninsured Rate 5
Disability Rate 5

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. McPherson County
McPherson County, NE 42.0 Normal —
Lincoln County, NE 47.6 Normal +5.6
Hooker County, NE 46.1 Normal +4.2
Arthur County, NE 44.7 Normal +2.8
Keith County, NE 42.1 Normal +0.2
Thomas County, NE 39.9 Normal -2.1
Logan County, NE 31.2 Healthy -10.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. McPherson County
Washington County, CO 42.0 Normal +0.0
DeKalb County, MO 41.9 Normal -0.1
Harper County, OK 41.9 Normal -0.1
Osborne County, KS 42.0 Normal +0.1
Dolores County, CO 42.1 Normal +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in McPherson 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 McPherson 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 McPherson County, Nebraska?

    McPherson County has a County Distress Index score of 42.0 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,214th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 29th in Nebraska out of 93 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in McPherson County?

    The primary driver of distress in McPherson County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 75.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does McPherson County compare to neighboring counties?

    McPherson County (42.0) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Lincoln County, NE (47.6); Hooker County, NE (46.1); Arthur County, NE (44.7).

  • 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 McPherson County?

    McPherson County, Nebraska has a population of approximately 383 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.