Merrick County, Nebraska

County Distress Index: Healthy · 33.5 | 7,755 people · 57th most distressed in Nebraska
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Merrick County, NE ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 33.5 — 2732nd 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 57th of 93 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Merrick County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 54.0 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 54.0
Uninsured Rate 47
Disability Rate 61
Debt & Delinquency 33.9
Debt in Collections 26
Medical Debt 38
Student Loan Delinquency 28
Auto Loan Delinquency 19
Credit Card Delinquency 27
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 66
Housing Cost Burden 31.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 50
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 13
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 73
Homeownership Rate 16
Rent-to-Income Ratio 6
Employment & Wages 29.8
Unemployment Rate 5
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 9
Business Formation Rate 76
Income & Poverty 18.2
Poverty Rate 15
Income vs. State Median 27
Child Poverty Rate 13

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Merrick County
Merrick County, NE 33.5 Healthy —
Hall County, NE 51.0 Elevated +17.5
Howard County, NE 35.9 Normal +2.4
Nance County, NE 33.4 Healthy -0.0
Platte County, NE 29.3 Healthy -4.1
Polk County, NE 23.1 Healthy -10.4
Hamilton County, NE 17.5 Healthy -16.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Merrick County
Stanton County, KS 33.5 Healthy +0.0
Johnson County, WY 33.5 Healthy +0.0
Nance County, NE 33.4 Healthy -0.0
Phillips County, KS 33.5 Healthy +0.1
Custer County, SD 33.6 Healthy +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Merrick County

Find an Attorney

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 Merrick 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 Merrick County, Nebraska?

    Merrick County has a County Distress Index score of 33.5 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,732nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 57th in Nebraska out of 93 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Merrick County?

    The primary driver of distress in Merrick County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 54.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Merrick County compare to neighboring counties?

    Merrick County (33.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Hall County, NE (51.0); Howard County, NE (35.9); Nance County, NE (33.4).

  • 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 Merrick County?

    Merrick County, Nebraska has a population of approximately 7,755 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.