Pierce County, North Dakota

County Distress Index: Healthy · 33.8 | 3,902 people · 17th most distressed in North Dakota
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Pierce County, ND ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 33.8 — 2711th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where household incomes are relatively strong and poverty rates are low. Within North Dakota, it ranks 17th of 53 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Pierce County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 44.5 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 44.5
Poverty Rate 29
Income vs. State Median 85
Child Poverty Rate 20
Employment & Wages 40.1
Unemployment Rate 19
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 14
Business Formation Rate 88
Housing Cost Burden 37.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 51
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 89
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 12
Homeownership Rate 24
Rent-to-Income Ratio 12
Community Vulnerability 30.2
Uninsured Rate 55
Disability Rate 5
Debt & Delinquency 16.5
Debt in Collections 5
Medical Debt 30
Student Loan Delinquency 11
Auto Loan Delinquency 24
Credit Card Delinquency 5
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 24

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Pierce County
Pierce County, ND 33.8 Healthy —
Rolette County, ND 61.4 Elevated +27.6
Benson County, ND 43.5 Normal +9.7
Sheridan County, ND 34.8 Healthy +1.0
Wells County, ND 29.3 Healthy -4.5
McHenry County, ND 28.0 Healthy -5.8
Towner County, ND 26.6 Healthy -7.2
Bottineau County, ND 21.4 Healthy -12.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Pierce County
Chariton County, MO 33.8 Healthy 0.0
Miner County, SD 33.9 Healthy +0.0
Hamilton County, KS 33.8 Healthy -0.1
Adams County, IA 33.8 Healthy -0.1
Coffey County, KS 33.9 Healthy +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Pierce 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 Pierce 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 Pierce County, North Dakota?

    Pierce County has a County Distress Index score of 33.8 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,711th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 17th in North Dakota out of 53 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Pierce County?

    The primary driver of distress in Pierce County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 44.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Pierce County compare to neighboring counties?

    Pierce County (33.8) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Rolette County, ND (61.4); Benson County, ND (43.5); Sheridan County, ND (34.8).

  • 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 Pierce County?

    Pierce County, North Dakota has a population of approximately 3,902 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.