Cavalier County, North Dakota

County Distress Index: Healthy · 17.1 | 3,596 people · 52nd most distressed in North Dakota
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Cavalier County, ND ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 17.1 — 3135th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where the job market is relatively stable with wages that keep pace with costs. Within North Dakota, it ranks 52nd of 53 counties. It scores lower than all 4 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Cavalier County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 24.8 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 24.8
Unemployment Rate 19
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 5
Business Formation Rate 50
Housing Cost Burden 19.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 48
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 28
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 7
Homeownership Rate 8
Rent-to-Income Ratio 5
Income & Poverty 18.4
Poverty Rate 14
Income vs. State Median 27
Child Poverty Rate 15
Community Vulnerability 13.2
Uninsured Rate 5
Disability Rate 21
Debt & Delinquency 9.6
Debt in Collections 5
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 11
Auto Loan Delinquency 24
Credit Card Delinquency 5
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 5

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Cavalier County compares to its 4 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Cavalier County
Cavalier County, ND 17.1 Healthy —
Ramsey County, ND 41.1 Normal +24.0
Walsh County, ND 31.5 Healthy +14.5
Towner County, ND 26.6 Healthy +9.6
Pembina County, ND 21.6 Healthy +4.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Cavalier County
Billings County, ND 17.3 Healthy +0.3
Steele County, ND 16.7 Healthy -0.4
Hamilton County, NE 17.5 Healthy +0.4
Hamlin County, SD 18.3 Healthy +1.2
Edmunds County, SD 15.8 Healthy -1.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Cavalier 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 Cavalier 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 Cavalier County, North Dakota?

    Cavalier County has a County Distress Index score of 17.1 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 3,135th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 52nd in North Dakota out of 53 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Cavalier County?

    The primary driver of distress in Cavalier County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 24.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Cavalier County compare to neighboring counties?

    Cavalier County (17.1) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Ramsey County, ND (41.1); Walsh County, ND (31.5); Towner County, ND (26.6).

  • 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 Cavalier County?

    Cavalier County, North Dakota has a population of approximately 3,596 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.