McKenzie County, North Dakota

County Distress Index: Healthy · 28.3 | 14,252 people · 27th most distressed in North Dakota
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McKenzie County, ND ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 28.3 — 2949th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where debt and delinquency levels sit above the national average. Within North Dakota, it ranks 27th of 53 counties. Among its 8 neighboring counties, 6 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. McKenzie County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 50.6 — above the national median.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 50.6
Debt in Collections 64
Medical Debt 43
Student Loan Delinquency 11
Auto Loan Delinquency 91
Credit Card Delinquency 89
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 5
Community Vulnerability 44.3
Uninsured Rate 83
Disability Rate 5
Housing Cost Burden 31.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 5
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 12
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 37
Homeownership Rate 95
Rent-to-Income Ratio 8
Income & Poverty 7.6
Poverty Rate 8
Income vs. State Median 8
Child Poverty Rate 7
Employment & Wages 7.4
Unemployment Rate 10
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 5
Business Formation Rate 7

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

Neighbors and Peers

How McKenzie County compares to its 8 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. McKenzie County
McKenzie County, ND 28.3 Healthy —
Roosevelt County, MT 64.2 Elevated +35.9
Wibaux County, MT 46.7 Normal +18.4
Golden Valley County, ND 38.4 Normal +10.2
Mountrail County, ND 35.0 Healthy +6.7
Williams County, ND 29.4 Healthy +1.1
Richland County, MT 28.9 Healthy +0.7
Dunn County, ND 26.1 Healthy -2.1
Billings County, ND 17.3 Healthy -11.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. McKenzie County
Kossuth County, IA 28.3 Healthy 0.0
Lake County, SD 28.3 Healthy +0.0
Morton County, ND 28.2 Healthy -0.0
Dickinson County, IA 28.3 Healthy +0.1
Shelby County, IA 28.4 Healthy +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in McKenzie 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 McKenzie 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 McKenzie County, North Dakota?

    McKenzie County has a County Distress Index score of 28.3 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,949th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 27th in North Dakota out of 53 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in McKenzie County?

    The primary driver of distress in McKenzie County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 50.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does McKenzie County compare to neighboring counties?

    McKenzie County (28.3) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Roosevelt County, MT (64.2); Wibaux County, MT (46.7); Golden Valley County, ND (38.4).

  • 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 McKenzie County?

    McKenzie County, North Dakota has a population of approximately 14,252 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.