Esmeralda County, Nevada
Above the national median for unemployment (average of monthly rates) — and 12.0× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Loving County, TX — 1%).
Main Findings
Esmeralda County, Nevada is more distressed than 84% of U.S. counties on the County Distress Index. The driver: 6% of the labor force was unemployed on average from September 2025 to August 2026 — above the national median of 4%. Its highest-scoring domain is Labor and its lowest is Delinquency.
- 3rd of 17 counties in Nevada on the County Distress Index — 84 · very high county distress, more distressed than 84% of U.S. counties.
- 6% of the labor force was unemployed on average from September 2025 to August 2026 (U.S. median 4%). Unemployment (average of monthly rates) at the 95th percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (monthly rates averaged, September 2025 to August 2026; no figures published for October 2025).
- Severe rent burden (50%+) at 53% — national median 18%, ranked at the 95th percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024).
- Bankruptcy filing rate at 272 — national median 126, ranked at the 88th percentile. Source: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025).
- Disability rate at 32% — national median 16%, ranked at the 95th percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024).
Neighbors span four CDI score labels. The 77-point drop to Mono County, CA marks a cross-border distress gradient.
Esmeralda County has a very high county distress score. The domain table shows which local pressure carries the composite.
The CDI gives this county a very high county distress label. The five-domain profile shows which local pressures carry the score. Its highest-scoring domain is Labor.
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), Esmeralda County's uninsured rate indicator is at the 15th percentile. American Default Research's CDI places every other indicator in the Safety Net & Buffer domain at or above the 51st percentile. The gap stands out against disability rate. Worth a call to the source agency or a local subject-matter contact in Goldfield.
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 Esmeralda County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Esmeralda County's value shown alongside NV's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Esmeralda | NV median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 40 · Rank 1,927 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 5% | 5% | 5% | 52nd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 6% | 6% | 5% | 63rd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 11% | 23% | 23% | 5th | Equifax data retrieved via FRED (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 77 · Rank 527 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 27% | 27% | 23% | 66th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 272 | 120 | 126 | 88th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 87 · Rank 210 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 24% | 20% | 21% | 80th | 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 | 53% | 21% | 18% | 95th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Labor — domain score 91 · Rank 139 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) | 29% | 23% | 21% | 87th | 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% | 4% | 4% | 95th | 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 58 · Rank 1,269 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 20% | 14% | 17% | 64th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 32% | 19% | 16% | 95th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 15% | 11% | 13% | 63rd | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 5% | 9% | 8% | 15th | 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 Esmeralda County data.
Draft wire copy 133-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
GOLDFIELD, Nev. — Esmeralda County is more distressed than 84% of U.S. counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
Esmeralda scores 84 out of 100, which means it is more distressed than 84% of U.S. counties; its score label is very high county distress. Within Nevada, Esmeralda ranks third of 17 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, identifies labor as the primary driver in Esmeralda. 6% of the labor force was unemployed on average from September 2025 to August 2026 — above the national median of 4%.
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 Esmeralda County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Esmeralda County's distress score?
How does Esmeralda County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Esmeralda County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →