#3,067 Top 100 Least Distressed Counties · 2026

Traill County, North Dakota

Least distressed fifth 3,067th of 3,144 counties nationally · 7,908 residents How this is calculated →
The headline number
18% Traill residents
vs.
18% U.S. median

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

Census ACS 5-yr (2023)

Main Findings

Wire lede · 27 words · paste-ready

Traill County, North Dakota ranks 3,067th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. Traill sits near the national median across major distress indicators.

Key Findings
  • 3,067th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Least distressed fifth, 40th in North Dakota.
  • 18% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent (U.S. median 18%). Severe rent burden (50%+) at the 49th percentile nationally.
  • Default & Legal domain score 24 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite.
  • Safety Net & Buffer domain score 12 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite.
  • Delinquency domain score 10 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite.
County Distress Index cluster map. Traill County, North Dakota and its neighbors colored by distress fifth.
Traill and its 5 geographic neighbors, graded by County Distress Index score. Traill County ranks 3,067th of 3,144. American Default Research
Wire quote — paste-ready, any angle 23 words

"Traill 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 Traill County's CDI Score

Every number traces to a public source. Traill 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 Traill County's national rank among all 3,144 U.S. counties for that indicator, always oriented so higher = more distressed.
Indicator Traill ND median U.S. median Pctile Source
Delinquency — domain score 10 · Rank 2,997 of 3,144
Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due 3% 3% 5% 14th 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 15% 15% 23% 10th Urban Institute (2024)
Default & Legal — domain score 24 · Rank 2,623 of 3,144
Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections 9% 12% 23% 5th Urban Institute (2024)
Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 114 59 126 43rd US Courts F-5A (2025)
Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 27 · Rank 2,535 of 3,144
Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income 13% 16% 21% 5th HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024)
Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent 18% 12% 18% 49th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Labor — domain score 5 · Rank 3,029 of 3,144
Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed 2% 2% 4% 5th BLS LAUS (Dec 2025)
Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 12 · Rank 2,996 of 3,144
Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line 7% 12% 18% 5th Census SAIPE (2023)
Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability 11% 13% 16% 11th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line 8% 11% 14% 9th Census SAIPE (2023)
Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers 21% 22% 27% 24th BEA Regional Personal Income (2023)
Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage 5% 6% 8% 19th 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.

Debt Burden (housing basis) Primary driver 27
Weight 20% · Rank 2,535 of 3,144
Default & Legal 24
Weight 20% · Rank 2,623 of 3,144
Safety Net & Buffer 12
Weight 20% · Rank 2,996 of 3,144
Delinquency 10
Weight 20% · Rank 2,997 of 3,144
Labor 5
Weight 20% · Rank 3,029 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 Traill County data — in under 60 seconds.

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Press contact: Ross Kilburn · press@americandefault.org · (307) 264-2992 · same-day response, 9am–6pm ET
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HILLSBORO, N.D. — Traill County ranks 3,067th 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 15 out of 100 places Traill in the least distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 3,066 counties rank more distressed. Within North Dakota, Traill ranks 40th 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 Traill sitting near the national median across major distress indicators, with no single domain emerging as a clear driver.

"Traill 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

Traill County scores 15 out of 100 on the County Distress Index, placing it in the least distressed fifth. It ranks 3,067th of 3,144 U.S. counties and 40th of 53 North Dakota counties. Higher county scores indicate more distress.

What drives Traill County's distress score?

The highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis), at a domain score of 27. Severe rent burden (50%+) ranks at the 49th percentile nationally.

How does Traill County compare to its neighbors?

Traill County's neighbors span two CDI distress fifths. Highest-distress neighbor: Norman County, MN (41.87, Second-least distressed fifth). Lowest: Steele County (18.75, 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.

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