Jefferson County, Montana
Near the national median for rent-to-income ratio — and 1.6× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Steele County, ND — 12%).
Main Findings
Jefferson County, Montana ranks 3,114th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. Jefferson sits near the national median across major distress indicators. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).
- 3,114th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 12.5 · very low county distress, 56th in Montana.
- A rent-to-income ratio of 20% (U.S. median 21%). Rent-to-income ratio at the 37th percentile nationally. Source: HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
- Disability rate at 17% — national median 16%, ranked at the 61st percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023).
- Labor domain score 9 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
- Default & Legal domain score 5 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
Jefferson County has a very low county distress score. The rank and domain mix show where the county still sits in the national cross-section.
The CDI gives this county a very low county distress label. The rank is still reported because low score intensity and relative position are different measures. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).
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 Jefferson County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Jefferson County's value shown alongside MT's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Jefferson | MT median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 5 · Rank 3,120 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 1% | 3% | 5% | 5th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 1% | 3% | 5% | 5th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 11% | 16% | 23% | 5th | Equifax data retrieved via FRED (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 5 · Rank 3,123 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 8% | 15% | 23% | 5th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 31 | 73 | 126 | 5th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 22 · Rank 2,699 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 20% | 26% | 21% | 37th | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 8% | 14% | 18% | 7th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 9 · Rank 2,846 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 2% | 3% | 4% | 9th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 22 · Rank 2,705 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 10% | 17% | 18% | 9th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 17% | 16% | 16% | 61st | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 8% | 13% | 14% | 10th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 5% | 8% | 8% | 19th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (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), 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 2022 to 2026 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Jefferson County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 125-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
BOULDER, Mont. — Jefferson County ranks 3,114th 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 12.5 out of 100 gives Jefferson a very low county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 3,113 counties rank more distressed. Within Montana, Jefferson ranks 56th of 56 counties.
The index, which draws on 13 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, finds Jefferson 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 Jefferson County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Jefferson County's distress score?
How does Jefferson County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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