Thurston County, Nebraska
Above the national median for subprime credit share.
Main Findings
Thurston County, Nebraska ranks 1,422nd most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 37% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) — above the national median of 23%. Its highest-scoring domain is Delinquency.
- 1,422nd of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 53.0 · moderate county distress, 1st in Nebraska.
- 37% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) (U.S. median 23%). Subprime credit share at the 91st percentile nationally. Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025).
- Uninsured rate at 15% — national median 8%, ranked at the 89th percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023).
- Debt in collections at 34% — national median 23%, ranked at the 85th percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Debt Burden (housing basis) domain score 34 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
Unemployment is 3%, near the national median of 4%, while subprime credit share runs at the 91st percentile. Jobs exist; wages don't close the gap.
Neighbors span four CDI score labels. The 27-point drop to Cuming County marks where the Nebraska distress corridor ends.
"Thurston County has a moderate county distress score. The county sits near the middle of the CDI score scale, so the domain mix carries the story."
"The CDI gives this county a moderate county distress label. The domain mix matters because the same composite score can come from very different local conditions. Its highest-scoring domain is Delinquency."
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023), Thurston County's disability rate indicator is at the 12th percentile. American Default Research's CDI places every other indicator in the Safety Net & Buffer domain at or above the 65th percentile. The gap stands out against uninsured rate. Worth a call to the source agency or a local subject-matter contact in Pender.
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Thurston County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Thurston County's value shown alongside NE's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Thurston | NE median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 73 · Rank 729 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 9% | 3% | 5% | 88th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 5% | 4% | 5% | 41st | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 37% | 17% | 23% | 91st | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 58 · Rank 1,185 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 34% | 14% | 23% | 85th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 92 | 116 | 126 | 32nd | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 34 · Rank 2,262 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 20% | 19% | 21% | 39th | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 14% | 12% | 18% | 28th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 34 · Rank 2,026 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 3% | 2% | 4% | 34th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 66 · Rank 930 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 26% | 13% | 18% | 81st | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 11% | 14% | 16% | 12th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 20% | 11% | 14% | 84th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 15% | 7% | 8% | 89th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), FRED/Equifax (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2022 to 2026 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Thurston County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 150-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
PENDER, Neb. — Thurston County ranks 1,422nd among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 53.0 out of 100 gives Thurston a moderate county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 1,421 counties rank more distressed. Within Nebraska, Thurston ranks first of 93 counties.
The index, which draws on 13 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies delinquency as the primary driver in Thurston. 37% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) — above the national median of 23%.
"Thurston County has a moderate county distress score. The county sits near the middle of the CDI score scale, so the domain mix carries the story," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Thurston County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Thurston County's distress score?
How does Thurston County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Thurston County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →