Foster County, North Dakota

County Distress Index: Healthy · 25.2 | 3,309 people · 37th most distressed in North Dakota
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Foster County, ND ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 25.2 — 3035th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where housing remains relatively affordable compared to local incomes. Within North Dakota, it ranks 37th of 53 counties. Among its 4 neighboring counties, 3 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Foster County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 35.8 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 35.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 78
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 57
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 5
Homeownership Rate 33
Rent-to-Income Ratio 5
Income & Poverty 32.6
Poverty Rate 32
Income vs. State Median 55
Child Poverty Rate 11
Employment & Wages 27.0
Unemployment Rate 5
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 5
Business Formation Rate 71
Community Vulnerability 16.9
Uninsured Rate 14
Disability Rate 20
Debt & Delinquency 13.5
Debt in Collections 5
Medical Debt 21
Student Loan Delinquency 11
Auto Loan Delinquency 24
Credit Card Delinquency 5
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 14

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Foster County
Foster County, ND 25.2 Healthy —
Stutsman County, ND 35.7 Normal +10.5
Eddy County, ND 34.5 Healthy +9.4
Wells County, ND 29.3 Healthy +4.1
Griggs County, ND 24.1 Healthy -1.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Foster County
Cuming County, NE 25.5 Healthy +0.3
Rock County, MN 24.8 Healthy -0.3
Denali Borough, AK 25.6 Healthy +0.4
Haakon County, SD 25.6 Healthy +0.4
Marshall County, MN 25.7 Healthy +0.5

Download Data

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

Find Help in Foster County

Find an Attorney

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 Foster 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 Foster County, North Dakota?

    Foster County has a County Distress Index score of 25.2 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 3,035th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 37th in North Dakota out of 53 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Foster County?

    The primary driver of distress in Foster County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 35.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Foster County compare to neighboring counties?

    Foster County (25.2) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Stutsman County, ND (35.7); Eddy County, ND (34.5); Wells County, ND (29.3).

  • 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 Foster County?

    Foster County, North Dakota has a population of approximately 3,309 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.