Saunders County, Nebraska

County Distress Index: Healthy · 22.5 | 23,463 people · 91st most distressed in Nebraska
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Saunders County, NE ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 22.5 — 3077th 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 91st of 93 counties. It scores lower than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Saunders County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 41.4 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 41.4
Unemployment Rate 10
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 60
Business Formation Rate 54
Housing Cost Burden 33.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 34
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 51
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 68
Homeownership Rate 12
Rent-to-Income Ratio 3
Debt & Delinquency 20.8
Debt in Collections 5
Medical Debt 15
Student Loan Delinquency 56
Auto Loan Delinquency 7
Credit Card Delinquency 4
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 37
Community Vulnerability 11.8
Uninsured Rate 10
Disability Rate 14
Income & Poverty 5.1
Poverty Rate 3
Income vs. State Median 10
Child Poverty Rate 3

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Saunders County
Saunders County, NE 22.5 Healthy —
Douglas County, NE 41.4 Normal +18.8
Dodge County, NE 36.8 Normal +14.3
Lancaster County, NE 35.2 Normal +12.7
Cass County, NE 30.8 Healthy +8.3
Sarpy County, NE 28.0 Healthy +5.5
Butler County, NE 27.0 Healthy +4.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Saunders County
Putnam County, OH 22.5 Healthy 0.0
Monroe County, IL 22.2 Healthy -0.3
Dubois County, IN 22.8 Healthy +0.3
Lincoln County, WY 23.0 Healthy +0.5
Butler County, IA 22.1 Healthy -0.5

Download Data

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

Find Help in Saunders 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 Saunders 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 Saunders County, Nebraska?

    Saunders County has a County Distress Index score of 22.5 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 3,077th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 91st in Nebraska out of 93 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Saunders County?

    The primary driver of distress in Saunders County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 41.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Saunders County compare to neighboring counties?

    Saunders County (22.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Douglas County, NE (41.4); Dodge County, NE (36.8); 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 Saunders County?

    Saunders County, Nebraska has a population of approximately 23,463 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.