Nelson County, North Dakota

County Distress Index: Healthy · 26.2 | 2,991 people · 34th most distressed in North Dakota
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Nelson County, ND ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 26.2 — 3008th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where health coverage and disability rates are better than the national average. Within North Dakota, it ranks 34th of 53 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Nelson County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 43.5 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 43.5
Uninsured Rate 14
Disability Rate 73
Income & Poverty 28.9
Poverty Rate 19
Income vs. State Median 62
Child Poverty Rate 6
Employment & Wages 23.0
Unemployment Rate 10
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 24
Business Formation Rate 34
Housing Cost Burden 18.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 5
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 17
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 29
Homeownership Rate 36
Rent-to-Income Ratio 5
Debt & Delinquency 16.9
Debt in Collections 5
Medical Debt 38
Student Loan Delinquency 11
Auto Loan Delinquency 24
Credit Card Delinquency 5
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 18

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Nelson County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Nelson County
Nelson County, ND 26.2 Healthy —
Benson County, ND 43.5 Normal +17.3
Ramsey County, ND 41.1 Normal +14.9
Eddy County, ND 34.5 Healthy +8.4
Grand Forks County, ND 33.2 Healthy +7.0
Walsh County, ND 31.5 Healthy +5.4
Griggs County, ND 24.1 Healthy -2.0
Steele County, ND 16.7 Healthy -9.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Nelson County
Dunn County, ND 26.1 Healthy -0.0
Aurora County, SD 26.3 Healthy +0.1
Humboldt County, IA 26.0 Healthy -0.1
Stanton County, NE 26.3 Healthy +0.1
Clark County, SD 26.0 Healthy -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Nelson 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 Nelson 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 Nelson County, North Dakota?

    Nelson County has a County Distress Index score of 26.2 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 3,008th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 34th in North Dakota out of 53 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Nelson County?

    The primary driver of distress in Nelson County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 43.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Nelson County compare to neighboring counties?

    Nelson County (26.2) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Benson County, ND (43.5); Ramsey County, ND (41.1); Eddy County, ND (34.5).

  • 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 Nelson County?

    Nelson County, North Dakota has a population of approximately 2,991 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.