Saline County, Nebraska

County Distress Index: Normal · 36.4 | 14,555 people · 50th most distressed in Nebraska
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Saline County, NE falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 36.4 — 2573rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Nebraska, it ranks 50th of 93 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Saline County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 45.3 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 45.3
Unemployment Rate 52
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 13
Business Formation Rate 70
Debt & Delinquency 42.1
Debt in Collections 28
Medical Debt 19
Student Loan Delinquency 82
Auto Loan Delinquency 50
Credit Card Delinquency 43
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 31
Community Vulnerability 39.6
Uninsured Rate 63
Disability Rate 16
Housing Cost Burden 34.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 45
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 24
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 44
Homeownership Rate 54
Rent-to-Income Ratio 5
Income & Poverty 20.4
Poverty Rate 24
Income vs. State Median 19
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 Saline County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Saline County
Saline County, NE 36.4 Normal —
Jefferson County, NE 46.4 Normal +10.0
Gage County, NE 39.7 Normal +3.3
Lancaster County, NE 35.2 Normal -1.1
York County, NE 29.4 Healthy -6.9
Thayer County, NE 28.5 Healthy -7.8
Seward County, NE 24.3 Healthy -12.1
Fillmore County, NE 23.2 Healthy -13.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Saline County
Putnam County, IN 36.4 Normal +0.0
Sagadahoc County, ME 36.2 Normal -0.1
Trempealeau County, WI 36.5 Normal +0.1
Blanco County, TX 36.1 Normal -0.2
Harrison County, IA 36.1 Normal -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Saline 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 Saline 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 Saline County, Nebraska?

    Saline County has a County Distress Index score of 36.4 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,573rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 50th in Nebraska out of 93 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Saline County?

    The primary driver of distress in Saline County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 45.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Saline County compare to neighboring counties?

    Saline County (36.4) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Jefferson County, NE (46.4); Gage County, NE (39.7); Lancaster County, NE (35.2).

  • 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 Saline County?

    Saline County, Nebraska has a population of approximately 14,555 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.