Nebraska County Distress Index
Financial distress scores for all 93 counties in Nebraska, scored 0–100 across five domains. Mean score: 26.8.
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-26
Nebraska Snapshot
93 Counties Scored
26.8 Mean Score
25.2 Median Score
50.7 Thurston County Most Distressed
10.4 Cedar County Least Distressed
3 Middle fifth19 Second-least distressed fifth71 Least distressed fifth
Quintile Distribution Nebraska County Map
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Least distressed fifth Second-least distressed fifth Middle fifth Second-most distressed fifth Most distressed fifth
All 93 Nebraska counties colored by distress fifth. Hover for details; click released counties for full reports.
Most & Least Distressed
Most Distressed
Least Distressed
Score Distribution
How Nebraska's 93 county scores are distributed across the 0–100 scale.
All Nebraska Counties
93 counties ranked by distress score. Click column headers to sort.
| State Rank | Nat'l Rank | County | Score | Distress Fifth | Primary Driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1,561 | Thurston County | 50.7 | Middle fifth | Delinquency |
| 2 | 1,626 | Scotts Bluff County | 49.5 | Middle fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 3 | 1,710 | Dawson County | 48.0 | Middle fifth | Labor |
| 4 | 2,004 | Johnson County | 43.1 | Second-least distressed fifth | Delinquency |
| 5 | 2,145 | Douglas County | 40.3 | Second-least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 6 | 2,153 | Hitchcock County | 40.2 | Second-least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 7 | 2,168 | Hooker County | 40.0 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 8 | 2,188 | Banner County | 39.7 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 9 | 2,246 | Dawes County | 38.5 | Second-least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 10 | 2,252 | Hall County | 38.4 | Second-least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 11 | 2,273 | Pawnee County | 38.0 | Second-least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 12 | 2,282 | Dakota County | 37.8 | Second-least distressed fifth | Delinquency |
| 13 | 2,303 | Thomas County | 37.4 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 14 | 2,343 | Red Willow County | 36.6 | Second-least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 15 | 2,360 | Box Butte County | 36.3 | Second-least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 16 | 2,373 | Furnas County | 36.0 | Second-least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 17 | 2,375 | Kimball County | 36.0 | Second-least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 18 | 2,411 | Adams County | 35.1 | Second-least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 19 | 2,418 | Loup County | 35.0 | Second-least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 20 | 2,434 | McPherson County | 34.5 | Second-least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 21 | 2,436 | Lincoln County | 34.5 | Second-least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 22 | 2,473 | Garden County | 33.7 | Second-least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 23 | 2,520 | Webster County | 32.5 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 24 | 2,523 | Dodge County | 32.5 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 25 | 2,535 | Keya Paha County | 32.2 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 26 | 2,545 | Gage County | 32.1 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 27 | 2,552 | Boyd County | 31.9 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 28 | 2,556 | Cheyenne County | 31.9 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 29 | 2,577 | Arthur County | 31.4 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 30 | 2,590 | Logan County | 31.1 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 31 | 2,604 | Jefferson County | 30.9 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 32 | 2,627 | Brown County | 30.4 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 33 | 2,628 | Deuel County | 30.4 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 34 | 2,638 | Keith County | 30.2 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 35 | 2,645 | Lancaster County | 29.8 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 36 | 2,688 | Stanton County | 28.7 | Least distressed fifth | Delinquency |
| 37 | 2,695 | Garfield County | 28.5 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 38 | 2,696 | Gosper County | 28.5 | Least distressed fifth | Labor |
| 39 | 2,697 | Morrill County | 28.4 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 40 | 2,702 | Blaine County | 28.4 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 41 | 2,737 | Saline County | 27.5 | Least distressed fifth | Delinquency |
| 42 | 2,738 | Richardson County | 27.4 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 43 | 2,743 | Frontier County | 27.3 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 44 | 2,748 | Sherman County | 27.1 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 45 | 2,750 | Nemaha County | 27.1 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 46 | 2,761 | Valley County | 26.9 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 47 | 2,820 | Cherry County | 25.2 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 48 | 2,830 | Burt County | 24.8 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 49 | 2,833 | Platte County | 24.7 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 50 | 2,840 | Wheeler County | 24.5 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 51 | 2,845 | Madison County | 24.4 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 52 | 2,853 | Sheridan County | 24.2 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 53 | 2,859 | York County | 23.9 | Least distressed fifth | Delinquency |
| 54 | 2,879 | Butler County | 23.5 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 55 | 2,881 | Hayes County | 23.4 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 56 | 2,882 | Colfax County | 23.4 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 57 | 2,890 | Howard County | 23.3 | Least distressed fifth | Delinquency |
| 58 | 2,893 | Franklin County | 23.1 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 59 | 2,903 | Buffalo County | 22.8 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 60 | 2,904 | Merrick County | 22.8 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 61 | 2,905 | Rock County | 22.7 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 62 | 2,908 | Sioux County | 22.6 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 63 | 2,919 | Thayer County | 22.4 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 64 | 2,928 | Fillmore County | 22.1 | Least distressed fifth | Delinquency |
| 65 | 2,929 | Harlan County | 22.1 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 66 | 2,943 | Dundy County | 21.7 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 67 | 2,945 | Chase County | 21.7 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 68 | 2,950 | Phelps County | 21.3 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 69 | 2,952 | Greeley County | 21.2 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 70 | 2,955 | Nuckolls County | 21.1 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 71 | 2,971 | Nance County | 20.5 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 72 | 2,973 | Custer County | 20.4 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 73 | 2,990 | Sarpy County | 19.7 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 74 | 2,993 | Cass County | 19.7 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 75 | 2,996 | Grant County | 19.6 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 76 | 3,003 | Otoe County | 19.2 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 77 | 3,006 | Antelope County | 19.0 | Least distressed fifth | Delinquency |
| 78 | 3,012 | Knox County | 18.5 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 79 | 3,048 | Wayne County | 16.1 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 80 | 3,049 | Washington County | 16.1 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 81 | 3,051 | Perkins County | 16.0 | Least distressed fifth | Delinquency |
| 82 | 3,055 | Kearney County | 15.8 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 83 | 3,060 | Seward County | 15.6 | Least distressed fifth | Delinquency |
| 84 | 3,071 | Dixon County | 15.3 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 85 | 3,073 | Pierce County | 15.3 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 86 | 3,086 | Clay County | 14.3 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 87 | 3,090 | Cuming County | 14.1 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 88 | 3,091 | Polk County | 14.1 | Least distressed fifth | Delinquency |
| 89 | 3,103 | Holt County | 13.1 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
| 90 | 3,104 | Saunders County | 13.1 | Least distressed fifth | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 91 | 3,108 | Boone County | 12.9 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 92 | 3,121 | Hamilton County | 11.7 | Least distressed fifth | Default & Legal |
| 93 | 3,128 | Cedar County | 10.4 | Least distressed fifth | Safety Net & Buffer |
How County Scores Work
Each county is scored 0–100 using five equal-weighted domains. Each domain averages its member indicators' county ranks, and the composite is the mean of those domain scores. Higher scores indicate greater household financial distress.
Most distressed fifth — 0 Nebraska counties
Second-most distressed fifth — 0 Nebraska counties
Middle fifth — 3 Nebraska counties
Second-least distressed fifth — 19 Nebraska counties
Least distressed fifth — 71 Nebraska counties