#3,094 Top 100 Least Distressed Counties · 2026

Renville County, North Dakota

1 · exceptionally low county distress more distressed than 1% of U.S. counties · 3,094th of 3,144 counties nationally · 2,279 residents How this is calculated →
The headline number
15% Renville residents
vs.
18% U.S. median

Below the national median for severe rent burden (50%+).

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024)

Main Findings

Wire lede · 42 words · paste-ready

Renville County, North Dakota ranks 3,094th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. Renville sits near the national median across major distress indicators. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis) and its lowest is Default & Legal.

Key Findings
  • 3,094th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 1 · exceptionally low county distress, more distressed than 1% of U.S. counties; 45th in North Dakota.
  • 15% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent (U.S. median 18%). Severe rent burden (50%+) at the 31st percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024).
  • Labor domain score 17 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
  • Safety Net & Buffer domain score 16 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
  • Delinquency domain score 14 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
County Distress Index cluster map. Renville County, North Dakota and its neighbors colored by county distress score label.
Renville and its 4 geographic neighbors, graded by County Distress Index score. Renville County ranks 3,094th of 3,144. American Default Research
Wire summary — paste-ready, any angle 21 words

Renville County has an exceptionally low county distress score. The CDI reading is a county comparison, separate from national ADI bands.

— American Default Research
Index note — for feature use 35 words

The CDI gives this county an exceptionally low county distress label. The score label is not a national ADI band; it is a county CDI score range. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).

— American Default Research

Indicator History

Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.

Updated Sep 22, 2026
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 1990 to 2025

Unemployment rate

2.2% -0.2 percentage points since 1990
Census 1989 to 2024

Poverty rate

9.6% -2.8 percentage points since 1989
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis 1969 to 2024

Transfer income share

19.8% +10.8 percentage points since 1969
Equifax data retrieved via FRED 2014 Q2 to 2025 Q4

Subprime credit population

11.9% -6.17 percentage points since 2014 Q2

The Indicators Behind Renville County's CDI Score

Every number traces to a public source. Renville 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; higher values represent a higher mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles. A county's domain rank is computed separately against all counties. Percentile is Renville County's national rank among all 3,144 U.S. counties for that indicator, always oriented so higher = more distressed.
Indicator Renville ND median U.S. median Pctile Source
Delinquency — domain score 14 · Rank 2,855 of 3,144
Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due 3% 3% 5% 24th Urban Institute Debt in America (2025)
Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due 3% 3% 5% 12th Urban Institute Debt in America (2025)
Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 12% 15% 23% 5th Equifax data retrieved via FRED (2025)
Default & Legal — domain score 6 · Rank 3,104 of 3,144
Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections 9% 12% 23% 5th Urban Institute Debt in America (2025)
Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 44 59 126 7th Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025)
Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 18 · Rank 2,841 of 3,144
Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income 15% 17% 21% 5th 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 15% 14% 18% 31st U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024)
Labor — domain score 17 · Rank 2,778 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) 17% 14% 21% 29th 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) 2% 2% 4% 5th 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 16 · Rank 2,872 of 3,144
Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line 10% 12% 17% 13th U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024)
Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability 11% 12% 16% 7th U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024)
Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line 10% 11% 13% 19th U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024)
Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage 5% 6% 8% 24th U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024)
Compiled September 30, 2026 from Urban Institute Debt in America (2025 panel), U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-yr 2024, SAIPE 2024, Business Formation Statistics 2025), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS August 2026, QCEW 2025), Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (F-5A bankruptcy filings 2025), and HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2027).

Five-Domain Breakdown

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

Debt Burden (housing basis) Primary driver 18
Weight 20% · Rank 2,841 of 3,144
Labor 17
Weight 20% · Rank 2,778 of 3,144
Safety Net & Buffer 16
Weight 20% · Rank 2,872 of 3,144
Delinquency 14
Weight 20% · Rank 2,855 of 3,144
Default & Legal 6
Weight 20% · Rank 3,104 of 3,144

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 Renville County data.

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Press contact: Ross Kilburn · press@americandefault.org · (307) 264-2992 · media inquiries welcome
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MOHALL, N.D. — Renville County ranks 3,094th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.

Renville scores 1 out of 100, which means it is more distressed than 1% of U.S. counties; its score label is exceptionally low county distress. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 3,093 counties rank more distressed. Within North Dakota, Renville ranks 45th of 53 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 Renville 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.

— 30 —

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Renville County scores 1 out of 100 on the County Distress Index, which means it is more distressed than 1% of U.S. counties. Its score label is exceptionally low county distress. It ranks 3,094th of 3,144 U.S. counties and 45th of 53 North Dakota counties. Higher county scores indicate more distress.

What drives Renville County's distress score?

The highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis), at a domain score of 18. Severe rent burden (50%+) ranks at the 31st percentile nationally.

How does Renville County compare to its neighbors?

Renville County's neighbors span two CDI score labels. Highest-distress neighbor: Ward County (15.00, very low county distress). Lowest: Bottineau County (1.00, exceptionally low county distress).

How is the County Distress Index calculated?

The CDI averages 14 source indicators across five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer, then ranks that average against every other county, so the score is the share of U.S. counties a county is more distressed than. Data comes from Urban Institute, Census Bureau, BLS, U.S. Courts, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and related public sources. Full methodology →
Ross Kilburn
Written by

Ross Kilburn, Founder

Founder · American Default Research · Seattle, Washington

Ross Kilburn is the former COO of Ark Law Group, a foreclosure defense firm serving five states. He founded Seattle Short Sales, wrote Short Sale Your Home, and worked as a mortgage loan originator and real estate agent. He founded American Default Research in 2026.

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