Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska
More than double the national median for unemployment — and 31.7× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Loving County, TX — 0%).
Main Findings
Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska ranks 739th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 10% of the labor force is unemployed — more than double the national median of 4%.
- 739th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Second-most distressed fifth, 1st in Alaska.
- 10% of the labor force is unemployed (U.S. median 4%). Unemployment at the 95th percentile nationally.
- Uninsured rate at 19% — national median 8%, ranked at the 95th percentile.
- Credit card delinquency at 12% — national median 5%, ranked at the 95th percentile.
- Rent-to-income ratio at 29% — national median 21%, ranked at the 94th percentile.
Neighbors span three CDI distress fifths. The 24-point drop to North Slope Borough marks where the Alaska distress corridor ends.
"Northwest Arctic Borough ranks in the second-most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The score is above the national county midpoint, with the domain table showing the local pressure mix."
"The CDI places this county in the second-most distressed fifth nationally. The county sits above the median distress position, with the five-domain profile showing which local pressures carry the score."
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
Northwest Arctic Borough's auto loan delinquency indicator is at the 9th percentile — while every other indicator in the delinquency domain sits at or above the 91st percentile. The gap stands out against credit card delinquency and subprime credit share. Worth a call to Urban Institute or a local credit counselor in Kotzebue.
The Indicators Behind Northwest Arctic Borough's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Northwest Arctic Borough's value shown alongside AK's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Northwest Arctic Borough | AK median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 65 · Rank 1,036 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 2% | 2% | 5% | 9th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 12% | 4% | 5% | 95th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 37% | 18% | 23% | 91st | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 45 · Rank 1,762 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 35% | 18% | 23% | 85th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 34 | 34 | 126 | 5th | US Courts F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 51 · Rank 1,507 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 29% | 22% | 21% | 94th | HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 7% | 10% | 18% | 7th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 95 · Rank 62 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 10% | 7% | 4% | 95th | BLS LAUS (Dec 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 69 · Rank 854 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 23% | 14% | 18% | 73rd | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 10% | 14% | 16% | 5th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 19% | 12% | 14% | 82nd | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers | 38% | 24% | 27% | 90th | BEA Regional Personal Income (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 19% | 14% | 8% | 95th | Census ACS 5-yr (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), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Business Formation Statistics), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2023 to 2025 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Northwest Arctic Borough data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 163-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
KOTZEBUE, Alaska — Northwest Arctic Borough ranks 739th 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 65 out of 100 places Northwest Arctic Borough in the second-most distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 738 counties rank more distressed. Within Alaska, Northwest Arctic Borough ranks first of 30 boroughs and census areas.
The index, which draws on 16 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies labor as the primary driver in Northwest Arctic Borough. 10% of the labor force is unemployed — more than double the national median of 4%.
"Northwest Arctic Borough ranks in the second-most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The score is above the national county midpoint, with the domain table showing the local pressure mix," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Northwest Arctic Borough's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Northwest Arctic Borough's distress score?
How does Northwest Arctic Borough compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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