McKenzie County, North Dakota
Above the national median for auto loan delinquency.
Main Findings
McKenzie County, North Dakota ranks 2,546th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. McKenzie sits near the national median across major distress indicators. Its highest-scoring domain is Delinquency.
- 2,546th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 31.7 · low-moderate county distress, 5th in North Dakota.
- 10% of auto loan accounts are 60+ days past due (U.S. median 5%). Auto loan delinquency at the 91st percentile nationally. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Debt in collections at 27% — national median 23%, ranked at the 64th percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Uninsured rate at 14% — national median 8%, ranked at the 83rd percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023).
- Debt Burden (housing basis) domain score 10 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
Unemployment is 2%, near the national median of 4%, while auto loan delinquency runs at the 91st percentile. Jobs exist; wages don't close the gap.
McKenzie County has a low-moderate county distress score. The CDI reading is a county comparison, separate from national ADI bands.
The CDI gives this county a low-moderate county distress label. The label comes from the score, while the rank compares the county with the current national cross-section. Its highest-scoring domain is Delinquency.
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind McKenzie County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. McKenzie County's value shown alongside ND's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | McKenzie | ND median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 87 · Rank 318 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 10% | 3% | 5% | 91st | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 9% | 3% | 5% | 89th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 33% | 15% | 23% | 83rd | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 35 · Rank 2,217 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 27% | 12% | 23% | 64th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 28 | 59 | 126 | 5th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 10 · Rank 3,045 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 16% | 16% | 21% | 8th | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 10% | 12% | 18% | 12th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 5 · Rank 2,994 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 2% | 2% | 4% | 5th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 22 · Rank 2,708 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 9% | 12% | 18% | 7th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 10% | 13% | 16% | 5th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 8% | 11% | 14% | 8th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 14% | 6% | 8% | 83rd | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), FRED/Equifax (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2022 to 2026 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite McKenzie County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 126-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
WATFORD CITY, N.D. — McKenzie County ranks 2,546th 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 31.7 out of 100 gives McKenzie a low-moderate county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 2,545 counties rank more distressed. Within North Dakota, McKenzie ranks fifth of 53 counties.
The index, which draws on 13 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, finds McKenzie sitting near the national median across major distress indicators, with no single domain emerging as a clear driver.
American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is McKenzie County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives McKenzie County's distress score?
How does McKenzie County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
McKenzie County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →