Loup County, Nebraska
Above the national median for child poverty rate — and 10.0× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Skagway Municipality, AK — 2%).
Main Findings
Loup County, Nebraska is more distressed than 14% of U.S. counties on the County Distress Index. Loup sits near the national median across major distress indicators. Its highest-scoring domain is Safety Net & Buffer and its lowest is Debt Burden (housing basis).
- 44th of 93 counties in Nebraska on the County Distress Index — 14 · very low county distress, more distressed than 14% of U.S. counties.
- 24% of children live below the federal poverty line (U.S. median 17%). Child poverty rate at the 80th percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024).
- Default & Legal domain score 30 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
- Labor domain score 23 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
- Delinquency domain score 19 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
Loup 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 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), Loup County's disability rate indicator is at the 10th percentile. American Default Research's CDI places every other indicator in the Safety Net & Buffer domain at or above the 50th percentile. The gap stands out against the other credit indicators. Worth a call to the source agency or a local subject-matter contact in Taylor.
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 Loup County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Loup County's value shown alongside NE's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Loup | NE median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 19 · Rank 2,650 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 3% | 3% | 5% | 22nd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 4% | 4% | 5% | 29th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 0% | 17% | 23% | 5th | Equifax data retrieved via FRED (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 30 · Rank 2,376 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 14% | 14% | 23% | 17th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 116 | 116 | 126 | 44th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 15 · Rank 2,947 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 18% | 18% | 21% | 24th | 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 | 3% | 11% | 18% | 5th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Labor — domain score 23 · Rank 2,618 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) | 11% | 14% | 21% | 5th | 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) | 4% | 3% | 4% | 40th | 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 53 · Rank 1,439 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 24% | 13% | 17% | 80th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 11% | 14% | 16% | 10th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 15% | 11% | 13% | 64th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 10% | 7% | 8% | 63rd | 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 Loup County data.
Draft wire copy 123-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
TAYLOR, Neb. — Loup County is more distressed than 14% of U.S. counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
Loup scores 14 out of 100, which means it is more distressed than 14% of U.S. counties; its score label is very low county distress. Within Nebraska, Loup ranks 44th of 93 counties.
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 Loup 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 Loup County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Loup County's distress score?
How does Loup County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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