Yakutat City and Borough, Alaska
Above the national median for child poverty rate — and 14.1× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Skagway Municipality, AK — 2%).
Main Findings
Yakutat City and Borough, Alaska is more distressed than 31% of U.S. counties on the County Distress Index. Yakutat and Borough sits near the national median across major distress indicators. Its highest-scoring domain is Safety Net & Buffer and its lowest is Default & Legal.
- 13th of 30 counties in Alaska on the County Distress Index — 31 · low-moderate county distress, more distressed than 31% of U.S. counties.
- 34% of children live below the federal poverty line (U.S. median 17%). Child poverty rate at the 95th percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024).
- Unemployment (average of monthly rates) at 6% — national median 4%, ranked at the 93rd percentile. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (monthly rates averaged, September 2025 to August 2026; no figures published for October 2025).
- Rent-to-income ratio at 25% — national median 21%, ranked at the 83rd percentile. Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents (FY2027); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024).
- Delinquency domain score 21 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
Neighbors span three CDI score labels. The 38-point drop to Chugach Census Area marks where the Alaska distress corridor ends.
Yakutat City and Borough 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 Safety Net & Buffer.
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024), Yakutat City and Borough's disability rate indicator is at the 16th percentile. American Default Research's CDI places every other indicator in the Safety Net & Buffer domain at or above the 28th percentile. The gap stands out against child poverty rate and uninsured rate. Worth a call to the source agency or a local subject-matter contact in Yakutat.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024), 34% of children under 18 in Yakutat City and Borough live below the federal poverty line, versus 17% nationally. When a county's adult poverty rate is accompanied by a materially higher child poverty rate, the gap typically reflects single-parent household concentration or limited access to workforce-participation supports (childcare, transportation). Worth a call to the local school district's free-and-reduced-lunch coordinator or a regional United Way affiliate.
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 Yakutat City and Borough's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Yakutat City and Borough's value shown alongside AK's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Yakutat City and Borough | AK median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 21 · Rank 2,546 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 2% | 2% | 5% | 9th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 4% | 4% | 5% | 25th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 19% | 18% | 23% | 30th | Equifax data retrieved via FRED (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 19 · Rank 2,820 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 18% | 18% | 23% | 32nd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 34 | 34 | 126 | 5th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 44 · Rank 1,818 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 25% | 22% | 21% | 83rd | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents (FY2027); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 4% | 11% | 18% | 5th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Labor — domain score 53 · Rank 1,436 of 3,144 | |||||
| Adults 25-54 not working Share of adults aged 25 to 54 without a job, leaving out residents of prisons and other institutions (service members count as working) | 14% | 20% | 21% | 14th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Unemployment (average of monthly rates) Share of labor force unemployed, averaged over the monthly rates published for September 2025 to August 2026 (no figures published for October 2025) | 6% | 6% | 4% | 93rd | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (monthly rates averaged, September 2025 to August 2026; no figures published for October 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 60 · Rank 1,178 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 34% | 15% | 17% | 95th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 12% | 14% | 16% | 16th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 15% | 12% | 13% | 66th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 25% | 12% | 8% | 95th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
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 scores household financial distress from 0 to 100 for all 3,144 U.S. counties. A county's score is the share of U.S. counties it is more distressed than. 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 five domains are averaged, and that average is ranked against every other county to give the score.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), Equifax data retrieved via FRED (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2024 to 2027 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Yakutat City and Borough data.
Draft wire copy 135-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
YAKUTAT, Alaska — Yakutat City and Borough is more distressed than 31% of U.S. counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
Yakutat City and Borough scores 31 out of 100, which means it is more distressed than 31% of U.S. counties; its score label is low-moderate county distress. Within Alaska, Yakutat City and Borough ranks 13th of 30 boroughs and census areas.
The index, which draws on 14 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, finds Yakutat and Borough 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 Yakutat City and Borough's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Yakutat City and Borough's distress score?
How does Yakutat City and Borough compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Yakutat City and Borough resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →