Wells County, North Dakota

County Distress Index: Healthy · 29.3 | 3,876 people · 26th most distressed in North Dakota
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Wells County, ND ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 29.3 — 2908th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where the job market is relatively stable with wages that keep pace with costs. Within North Dakota, it ranks 26th 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. Wells County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 41.6 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 41.6
Unemployment Rate 30
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 13
Business Formation Rate 81
Income & Poverty 38.2
Poverty Rate 38
Income vs. State Median 43
Child Poverty Rate 33
Housing Cost Burden 29.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 42
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 8
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 39
Homeownership Rate 55
Rent-to-Income Ratio 5
Community Vulnerability 21.6
Uninsured Rate 19
Disability Rate 24
Debt & Delinquency 15.6
Debt in Collections 8
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 11
Auto Loan Delinquency 24
Credit Card Delinquency 29
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 14

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Wells County
Wells County, ND 29.3 Healthy —
Benson County, ND 43.5 Normal +14.2
Stutsman County, ND 35.7 Normal +6.4
Sheridan County, ND 34.8 Healthy +5.5
Eddy County, ND 34.5 Healthy +5.2
Pierce County, ND 33.8 Healthy +4.5
Kidder County, ND 27.3 Healthy -2.0
Foster County, ND 25.2 Healthy -4.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Wells County
Calhoun County, IA 29.1 Healthy -0.2
Sheridan County, KS 29.1 Healthy -0.2
Somervell County, TX 29.0 Healthy -0.3
Chase County, NE 28.9 Healthy -0.4
Kingsbury County, SD 28.9 Healthy -0.5

Download Data

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

Find Help in Wells 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 Wells County residents at no cost.

Legal Services of North Dakota 1-800-634-5263

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in North Dakota →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Wells County, North Dakota?

    Wells County has a County Distress Index score of 29.3 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,908th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 26th in North Dakota out of 53 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Wells County?

    The primary driver of distress in Wells County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 41.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Wells County compare to neighboring counties?

    Wells County (29.3) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Benson County, ND (43.5); Stutsman County, ND (35.7); 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 Wells County?

    Wells County, North Dakota has a population of approximately 3,876 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.