Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska

County Distress Index: Elevated · 56.9 | 35,699 people · 2nd most distressed in Nebraska
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Scotts Bluff County, NE registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 56.9 — 1085th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Nebraska, it ranks 2nd of 93 counties. It scores higher than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Scotts Bluff County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 70.2 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 70.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 82
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 81
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 67
Homeownership Rate 77
Rent-to-Income Ratio 46
Income & Poverty 67.9
Poverty Rate 65
Income vs. State Median 78
Child Poverty Rate 61
Community Vulnerability 52.2
Uninsured Rate 63
Disability Rate 41
Debt & Delinquency 49.5
Debt in Collections 42
Medical Debt 48
Student Loan Delinquency 37
Auto Loan Delinquency 50
Credit Card Delinquency 63
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 57
Employment & Wages 44.7
Unemployment Rate 38
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 30
Business Formation Rate 66

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Scotts Bluff County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Scotts Bluff County
Scotts Bluff County, NE 56.9 Elevated —
Goshen County, WY 50.9 Elevated -6.1
Sioux County, NE 46.7 Normal -10.2
Box Butte County, NE 42.9 Normal -14.0
Banner County, NE 41.3 Normal -15.6
Morrill County, NE 37.6 Normal -19.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Scotts Bluff County
Mackinac County, MI 56.9 Elevated -0.0
Silver Bow County, MT 57.0 Elevated +0.1
Marion County, MS 57.0 Elevated +0.1
Gates County, NC 57.0 Elevated +0.1
Lampasas County, TX 57.0 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Scotts Bluff County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Scotts Bluff 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 Scotts Bluff 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 Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska?

    Scotts Bluff County has a County Distress Index score of 56.9 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,085th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 2nd in Nebraska out of 93 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Scotts Bluff County?

    The primary driver of distress in Scotts Bluff County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 70.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Scotts Bluff County compare to neighboring counties?

    Scotts Bluff County (56.9) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Goshen County, WY (50.9); Sioux County, NE (46.7); Box Butte County, NE (42.9).

  • 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 Scotts Bluff County?

    Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska has a population of approximately 35,699 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.