Valley County, Nebraska

County Distress Index: Normal · 38.7 | 4,012 people · 41st most distressed in Nebraska
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Valley County, NE falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 38.7 — 2430th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where income and poverty levels indicate moderate economic strain. Within Nebraska, it ranks 41st of 93 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 3 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Valley County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 52.5 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 52.5
Poverty Rate 37
Income vs. State Median 81
Child Poverty Rate 40
Community Vulnerability 50.9
Uninsured Rate 29
Disability Rate 73
Employment & Wages 36.8
Unemployment Rate 5
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 51
Business Formation Rate 54
Debt & Delinquency 29.5
Debt in Collections 15
Medical Debt 30
Student Loan Delinquency 28
Auto Loan Delinquency 22
Credit Card Delinquency 22
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 60
Housing Cost Burden 23.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 5
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 5
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 8
Homeownership Rate 57
Rent-to-Income Ratio 43

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Valley County
Valley County, NE 38.7 Normal —
Garfield County, NE 43.8 Normal +5.2
Sherman County, NE 41.6 Normal +3.0
Wheeler County, NE 33.9 Healthy -4.8
Custer County, NE 33.3 Healthy -5.4
Greeley County, NE 29.9 Healthy -8.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Valley County
Rush County, KS 38.6 Normal -0.0
Grand Isle County, VT 38.6 Normal -0.0
Stafford County, KS 38.6 Normal -0.0
Crane County, TX 38.6 Normal -0.0
Beaverhead County, MT 38.6 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Valley 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 Valley County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid of Nebraska 1-877-250-2016

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Nebraska →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Valley County, Nebraska?

    Valley County has a County Distress Index score of 38.7 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,430th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 41st in Nebraska out of 93 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Valley County?

    The primary driver of distress in Valley County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 52.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Valley County compare to neighboring counties?

    Valley County (38.7) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Garfield County, NE (43.8); Sherman County, NE (41.6); Wheeler County, NE (33.9).

  • 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 Valley County?

    Valley County, Nebraska has a population of approximately 4,012 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.