Dawson County, Montana

County Distress Index: Normal · 37.5 | 8,810 people · 20th most distressed in Montana
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Dawson County, MT falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 37.5 — 2336th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Economic Vitality, where wages are low relative to housing costs, business formation lags, and the local economy lacks dynamism. Within Montana, it ranks 20th of 56 counties. It scores higher than all 4 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Dawson County's primary driver is Economic Vitality at 77.8 — worse than roughly 78% of U.S. counties.

Economic Vitality Primary driver 77.8
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 80
Rent-to-Income Ratio 79
Business Formation Rate 64
House Price Change (YoY) 91
Structural Poverty 42.9
Unemployment Rate 34
Poverty Rate 43
Income vs. State Median 45
Child Poverty Rate 28
Disability Rate 64
Transfer Income Dependency 41
Housing Cost Burden 37.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 30
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 43
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 7
Homeownership Rate 60
Consumer Credit Distress 30.2
Debt in Collections 33
Medical Debt 77
Auto Loan Delinquency 6
Credit Card Delinquency 29
Uninsured Rate 22
Subprime Credit Population 21
Legal Distress 25.7
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 26

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Dawson County
Dawson County, MT 37.5 Normal —
Richland County, MT 35.6 Normal -1.9
Prairie County, MT 33.6 Healthy -4.0
Wibaux County, MT 33.1 Healthy -4.5
McCone County, MT 26.7 Healthy -10.9

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Dawson County
Tyler County, WV 37.6 Normal +0.0
Archer County, TX 37.6 Normal +0.0
Clear Creek County, CO 37.5 Normal -0.1
Moore County, TN 37.7 Normal +0.1
Osborne County, KS 37.4 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Dawson County

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State Bar of Montana Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

State Bar of Montana Lawyer Referral Service 406-442-7660

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Dawson County residents at no cost.

Montana Legal Services Association (MLSA) 1-800-666-6899

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Dawson County, Montana?

    Dawson County has a County Distress Index score of 37.5 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,336th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 20th in Montana out of 56 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Dawson County?

    The primary driver of distress in Dawson County is Economic Vitality, where the county scores 77.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Rent-to-Income Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Dawson County compare to neighboring counties?

    Dawson County (37.5) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Richland County, MT (35.6); Prairie County, MT (33.6); Wibaux County, MT (33.1).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses PCA-weighted percentile scoring across five statistically derived factors: Consumer Credit Distress (47.5%), Housing Cost Burden (22.3%), Structural Poverty (13.6%), Economic Vitality (9.2%), and Legal Distress (7.4%). 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.

  • How often is the CDI updated?

    Annually, aligned to Census American Community Survey and Urban Institute Debt in America release windows — the slowest-moving source inputs. Between annual refreshes, faster-cadence indicators (BLS unemployment, QCEW wages) may drive light mid-year updates if a specific component moves meaningfully. Current data compiled April 14, 2026; next full refresh early 2027.

  • What does the Normal zone mean?

    The CDI divides counties into five zones: Healthy (below 46), Normal (46–55), Elevated (55–71), Serious (71–86), and Crisis (86 and above). Dawson County's score of 37.5 sits in the Normal zone (46–55).

  • What data sources power Dawson County's CDI score?

    Dawson County's CDI score draws on Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax credit-bureau panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS, QCEW), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Every number on this page traces to one of these public sources.

  • What is the population of Dawson County?

    Dawson County, Montana has a population of approximately 8,810 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.