Barnes County, North Dakota

County Distress Index: Healthy · 33.9 | 10,726 people · 15th most distressed in North Dakota
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Barnes County, ND ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 33.9 — 2702nd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where debt and delinquency rates remain below the national norm. Within North Dakota, it ranks 15th of 53 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Barnes County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 43.6 — above the national median.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 43.6
Debt in Collections 26
Medical Debt 37
Student Loan Delinquency 92
Auto Loan Delinquency 36
Credit Card Delinquency 59
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 12
Employment & Wages 35.5
Unemployment Rate 19
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 21
Business Formation Rate 67
Income & Poverty 35.5
Poverty Rate 33
Income vs. State Median 58
Child Poverty Rate 15
Housing Cost Burden 34.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 35
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 65
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 9
Homeownership Rate 55
Rent-to-Income Ratio 7
Community Vulnerability 21.0
Uninsured Rate 15
Disability Rate 27

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Barnes County
Barnes County, ND 33.9 Healthy —
Stutsman County, ND 35.7 Normal +1.7
Cass County, ND 27.8 Healthy -6.2
Griggs County, ND 24.1 Healthy -9.8
Ransom County, ND 19.8 Healthy -14.2
LaMoure County, ND 18.7 Healthy -15.2
Steele County, ND 16.7 Healthy -17.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Barnes County
Pierce County, WI 34.0 Healthy +0.0
Morrison County, MN 33.9 Healthy -0.0
Buena Vista County, IA 33.9 Healthy -0.1
Richland County, ND 33.9 Healthy -0.1
Campbell County, WY 34.0 Healthy +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Barnes County

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State Bar Association of North Dakota Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

State Bar Association of North Dakota Lawyer Referral Service 701-255-1404

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Barnes County residents at no cost.

Legal Services of North Dakota 1-800-634-5263

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Barnes County, North Dakota?

    Barnes County has a County Distress Index score of 33.9 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,702nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 15th in North Dakota out of 53 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Barnes County?

    The primary driver of distress in Barnes County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 43.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Barnes County compare to neighboring counties?

    Barnes County (33.9) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Stutsman County, ND (35.7); Cass County, ND (27.8); Griggs County, ND (24.1).

  • 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 Barnes County?

    Barnes County, North Dakota has a population of approximately 10,726 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.