#3,140 Top 100 Least Distressed Counties · 2026

LaMoure County, North Dakota

Healthy 3,140th of 3,144 counties nationally · 4,096 residents How this is calculated →
The headline number
3% LaMoure residents
vs.
5% U.S. median

Below the national median for auto loan delinquency.

Urban Institute (2024)

Main Findings

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LaMoure County, North Dakota ranks 3,140th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. LaMoure sits near the national median across major distress indicators.

Key Findings
  • 3,140th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Healthy zone, 53rd in North Dakota.
  • 3% of auto loan accounts are 60+ days past due (U.S. median 5%). Auto loan delinquency at the 24th percentile nationally.
  • Household income relative to state at 0.96× — national median 1.00×, ranked at the 60th percentile.
  • Business formation rate at 9.3 — national median 10.0, ranked at the 59th percentile.
  • Legal Distress domain score 9 — weight 7.4% of the CDI composite.
County Distress Index cluster map. LaMoure County, North Dakota and its neighbors colored by distress zone.
LaMoure and its 6 geographic neighbors, graded by County Distress Index score. LaMoure County ranks 3,140th of 3,144. American Default Research
Wire quote — paste-ready, any angle 31 words

"LaMoure County is one of the steadier counties on the index — durable fundamentals across most domains. The risk pattern here is asymmetric: a single shock can change the picture quickly."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research
Analyst quote — for voice-y features 29 words

"Healthy-zone counties have durable fundamentals across most distress domains. The risk pattern here is asymmetric: a single shock — health, housing, or income — can change the picture quickly."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research

The Indicators Behind LaMoure County's CDI Score

Every number traces to a public source. LaMoure County's value shown alongside ND's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.

How to read the table. A domain score is a 0–100 composite of the indicators in that domain, where 50 = U.S. county median and higher = more distressed. Percentile is LaMoure County's national rank among all 3,144 U.S. counties for that indicator, always oriented so higher = more distressed.
Indicator LaMoure ND median U.S. median Pctile Source
Consumer Credit Distress — domain score 10 · Rank 3,062 of 3,144
Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections 4% 12% 23% 5th Urban Institute (2024)
Medical debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have medical debt in collections 0% 2% 4% 7th Urban Institute (2024)
Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due 3% 3% 5% 24th Urban Institute (2024)
Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due 1% 3% 5% 5th Urban Institute (2024)
Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage 6% 6% 8% 24th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 8% 15% 23% 5th Urban Institute (2024)
Housing Cost Burden — domain score 8 · Rank 3,113 of 3,144
Rent burden (30%+) Share of renter households paying 30%+ of income on rent 18% 26% 38% 5th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent 8% 12% 18% 8th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Owner housing burden Share of owner households paying 30%+ of income on housing 21% 19% 24% 25th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Homeownership rate Share of occupied housing units that are owner-occupied 85% 77% 74% 5th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Structural Poverty — domain score 24 · Rank 2,610 of 3,144
Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed 2% 3% 4% 5th BLS LAUS (Dec 2025)
Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line 9% 11% 14% 16th Census SAIPE (2023)
Household income relative to state Median household income as share of state median 0.96× 1.00× 1.00× 60th Census SAIPE (2023)
Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line 10% 12% 18% 9th Census SAIPE (2023)
Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability 12% 13% 16% 16th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers 20% 22% 27% 19th BEA Regional Personal Income (2023)
Legal Distress — domain score 9 · Rank 2,859 of 3,144
Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 49 59 126 9th US Courts F-5A (2025)
Economic Vitality — domain score 18 · Rank 3,055 of 3,144
Wage-to-rent ratio Ratio of average weekly wage to fair-market rent 4.9× 5.0× 4.0× 11th BLS QCEW × HUD FMR (2024)
Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income 15% 16% 21% 5th HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024)
Business formation rate New business applications per 1,000 residents 9.3 9.3 10.0 59th Census Business Formation Statistics (2024)
House price change (yoy) House price index year-over-year change 7% 7% 4% 19th FHFA HPI (2024)
Data compiled April 2026 from Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax 2024 panel), U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-yr 2023, SAIPE 2023, Business Formation Statistics 2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS Dec 2025, QCEW 2024), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings 2025), and HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2024).

Five-Domain Breakdown

The CDI is a PCA-weighted composite of five statistically derived factors. Weights are proportional to each factor's share of explained variance across 3,144 counties.

Structural Poverty 24
Weight 13.6% · Rank 2,610 of 3,144 · Pctile 17
Economic Vitality 18
Weight 9.2% · Rank 3,055 of 3,144 · Pctile 3
Consumer Credit Distress Primary driver 10
Weight 47.5% · Rank 3,062 of 3,144 · Pctile 3
Legal Distress 9
Weight 7.4% · Rank 2,859 of 3,144 · Pctile 9
Housing Cost Burden 8
Weight 22.2% · Rank 3,113 of 3,144 · Pctile 1

Methodology

The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 represents the national county median; higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from 21 indicators grouped into five statistically derived factors via principal component analysis (PCA); factor weights are proportional to each factor's share of explained variance (shown in the Five-Domain Breakdown above).

Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Business Formation Statistics), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2023 to 2025 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.

For Press & Research

Everything you need to cite LaMoure County data — in under 60 seconds.

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Press contact: Ross Kilburn · press@americandefault.org · (307) 264-2992 · same-day response, 9am–6pm ET
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LAMOURE, N.D. — LaMoure County ranks 3,140th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.

The composite score of 12 out of 100 places LaMoure in the "Healthy" zone. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 3,139 counties rank more distressed. Within North Dakota, LaMoure ranks 53rd of 53 counties.

The index, which draws on 21 indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, finds LaMoure sitting near the national median across major distress indicators, with no single domain emerging as a clear driver.

"LaMoure County is one of the steadier counties on the index — durable fundamentals across most domains. The risk pattern here is asymmetric: a single shock can change the picture quickly," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.

Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is LaMoure County's CDI score, and what does it mean?

LaMoure County scores 12 out of 100 on the County Distress Index, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 3,140th of 3,144 U.S. counties and 53rd of 53 North Dakota counties. A score of 50 is the national county median; higher = more distressed.

What drives LaMoure County's distress score?

The primary driver is Consumer Credit Distress, at a domain score of 10. Auto loan delinquency ranks at the 24th percentile nationally.

How does LaMoure County compare to its neighbors?

LaMoure County's neighbors span 1 CDI zones. Highest-distress neighbor: Barnes County (32.90, Healthy). Lowest: Dickey County (19.84, Healthy).

How is the County Distress Index calculated?

The CDI is a 0–100 composite of 21 indicators across five factors, derived via principal component analysis. Factor weights: Consumer Credit Distress 47.5%, Housing Cost Burden 22.3%, Structural Poverty 13.6%, Economic Vitality 9.2%, Legal Distress 7.4%. Data from Urban Institute, Census Bureau, BLS, U.S. Courts, and HUD. Full methodology →
Ross Kilburn
Written by

Ross Kilburn, Founder

Founder · American Default Research · Seattle, Washington

Two decades working directly with financially distressed American households — from property preservation in 2003, to negotiating over 1,000 short sales during the Great Recession, to foreclosure defense marketing today. Author, The Ark Law Group Complete Guide to Short Sales (Auroch Press, 2013). Founded American Default Research in 2026.

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