#3,135 Top 100 Least Distressed Counties · 2026

LaMoure County, North Dakota

Least distressed fifth 3,135th of 3,144 counties nationally · 4,096 residents How this is calculated →
The headline number
6% LaMoure residents
vs.
8% U.S. median

Below the national median for uninsured rate.

Census ACS 5-yr (2023)

Main Findings

Wire lede · 27 words · paste-ready

LaMoure County, North Dakota ranks 3,135th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. LaMoure sits near the national median across major distress indicators.

Key Findings
  • 3,135th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Least distressed fifth, 52nd in North Dakota.
  • 6% of residents lack health insurance (U.S. median 8%). Uninsured rate at the 24th percentile nationally.
  • Delinquency domain score 11 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite.
  • Default & Legal domain score 7 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite.
  • Debt Burden (housing basis) domain score 6 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite.
County Distress Index cluster map. LaMoure County, North Dakota and its neighbors colored by distress fifth.
LaMoure and its 6 geographic neighbors, graded by County Distress Index score. LaMoure County ranks 3,135th of 3,144. American Default Research
Wire quote — paste-ready, any angle 23 words

"LaMoure County ranks in the least distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The CDI reading is a county comparison, separate from national ADI bands."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research
Analyst quote — for feature use 25 words

"The CDI places this county in the least distressed fifth nationally. The rank is a comparative geography measure across counties, not a national ADI band."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research

The Indicators Behind LaMoure County's CDI Score

Every number traces to a public source. LaMoure County's value shown alongside ND's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.

How to read the table. A domain score is a 0–100 composite of the indicators in that domain, where 50 = U.S. county median and higher = more distressed. Percentile is LaMoure County's national rank among all 3,144 U.S. counties for that indicator, always oriented so higher = more distressed.
Indicator LaMoure ND median U.S. median Pctile Source
Delinquency — domain score 11 · Rank 2,953 of 3,144
Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due 3% 3% 5% 24th Urban Institute (2024)
Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due 1% 3% 5% 5th Urban Institute (2024)
Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 8% 15% 23% 5th Urban Institute (2024)
Default & Legal — domain score 7 · Rank 3,096 of 3,144
Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections 4% 12% 23% 5th Urban Institute (2024)
Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 49 59 126 9th US Courts F-5A (2025)
Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 6 · Rank 3,106 of 3,144
Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income 15% 16% 21% 5th HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024)
Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent 8% 12% 18% 8th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Labor — domain score 5 · Rank 2,993 of 3,144
Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed 2% 2% 4% 5th BLS LAUS (Dec 2025)
Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 17 · Rank 2,861 of 3,144
Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line 10% 12% 18% 9th Census SAIPE (2023)
Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability 12% 13% 16% 16th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line 9% 11% 14% 16th Census SAIPE (2023)
Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers 20% 22% 27% 19th BEA Regional Personal Income (2023)
Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage 6% 6% 8% 24th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Data compiled April 2026 from Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax 2024 panel), U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-yr 2023, SAIPE 2023, Business Formation Statistics 2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS Dec 2025, QCEW 2024), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings 2025), and HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2024).

Five-Domain Breakdown

The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.

Safety Net & Buffer Primary driver 17
Weight 20% · Rank 2,861 of 3,144
Delinquency 11
Weight 20% · Rank 2,953 of 3,144
Default & Legal 7
Weight 20% · Rank 3,096 of 3,144
Debt Burden (housing basis) 6
Weight 20% · Rank 3,106 of 3,144
Labor 5
Weight 20% · Rank 2,993 of 3,144

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), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Business Formation Statistics), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2023 to 2025 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.

For Press & Research

Everything you need to cite LaMoure County data — in under 60 seconds.

Embed preview — paste into any CMS <iframe src="https://americandefault.org/embed/county/38045/" width="600" height="300" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="border:1px solid #e5e7eb;border-radius:8px;" title="LaMoure County, ND — County Distress Index"></iframe>
Press contact: Ross Kilburn · press@americandefault.org · (307) 264-2992 · same-day response, 9am–6pm ET
Draft wire copy 144-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
DRAFT · 144 words · for immediate release · cleared for reuse with attribution to American Default Research

LAMOURE, N.D. — LaMoure County ranks 3,135th 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 9 out of 100 places LaMoure in the least distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 3,134 counties rank more distressed. Within North Dakota, LaMoure ranks 52nd of 53 counties.

The index, which draws on 16 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, finds LaMoure sitting near the national median across major distress indicators, with no single domain emerging as a clear driver.

"LaMoure County ranks in the least distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The CDI reading is a county comparison, separate from national ADI bands," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.

Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.

— 30 —

Frequently Asked Questions

What is LaMoure County's CDI score, and what does it mean?

LaMoure County scores 9 out of 100 on the County Distress Index, placing it in the least distressed fifth. It ranks 3,135th of 3,144 U.S. counties and 52nd of 53 North Dakota counties. Higher county scores indicate more distress.

What drives LaMoure County's distress score?

The highest-scoring domain is Safety Net & Buffer, at a domain score of 17. Uninsured rate ranks at the 24th percentile nationally.

How does LaMoure County compare to its neighbors?

LaMoure County's neighbors span 1 CDI distress fifths. Highest-distress neighbor: Barnes County (24.98, Least distressed fifth). Lowest: Dickey County (14.72, Least distressed fifth).

How is the County Distress Index calculated?

The CDI is a 0–100 composite of 16 source indicators across five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Data comes from Urban Institute, Census Bureau, BLS, U.S. Courts, HUD, and related public sources. Full methodology →
Ross Kilburn
Written by

Ross Kilburn, Founder

Founder · American Default Research · Seattle, Washington

Two decades working directly with financially distressed American households — from property preservation in 2003, to negotiating over 1,000 short sales during the Great Recession, to foreclosure defense marketing today. Author, The Ark Law Group Complete Guide to Short Sales (Auroch Press, 2013). Founded American Default Research in 2026.

Read more
from Ross →