Webster County, Nebraska

County Distress Index: Normal · 36.4 | 3,351 people · 49th most distressed in Nebraska
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Webster County, NE falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 36.4 — 2571st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where income and poverty levels indicate moderate economic strain. Within Nebraska, it ranks 49th of 93 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Webster County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 51.1 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 51.1
Poverty Rate 41
Income vs. State Median 80
Child Poverty Rate 33
Employment & Wages 49.8
Unemployment Rate 16
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 66
Business Formation Rate 68
Debt & Delinquency 35.6
Debt in Collections 31
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 28
Auto Loan Delinquency 22
Credit Card Delinquency 33
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 93
Community Vulnerability 22.9
Uninsured Rate 27
Disability Rate 19
Housing Cost Burden 22.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 44
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 6
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 7
Homeownership Rate 13
Rent-to-Income Ratio 42

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Webster County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Webster County
Webster County, NE 36.4 Normal —
Smith County, KS 45.3 Normal +8.9
Jewell County, KS 45.3 Normal +8.9
Adams County, NE 40.7 Normal +4.4
Franklin County, NE 38.2 Normal +1.9
Nuckolls County, NE 35.4 Normal -1.0
Kearney County, NE 25.7 Healthy -10.6
Clay County, NE 23.8 Healthy -12.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Webster County
Rawlins County, KS 36.4 Normal -0.0
Keokuk County, IA 36.3 Normal -0.0
Lake of the Woods County, MN 36.3 Normal -0.1
Cook County, MN 36.5 Normal +0.1
Rappahannock County, VA 36.5 Normal +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Webster 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 Webster 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 Webster County, Nebraska?

    Webster County has a County Distress Index score of 36.4 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,571st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 49th in Nebraska out of 93 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Webster County?

    The primary driver of distress in Webster County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 51.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Webster County compare to neighboring counties?

    Webster County (36.4) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Smith County, KS (45.3); Jewell County, KS (45.3); Adams County, NE (40.7).

  • 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 Webster County?

    Webster County, Nebraska has a population of approximately 3,351 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.