Grand County, Utah

County Distress Index: Elevated · 53.3 | 9,706 people · 1st most distressed in Utah
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Grand County, UT registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 53.3 — 1381st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Economic Vitality, where wages are low relative to housing costs, business formation lags, and the local economy lacks dynamism. Within Utah, it ranks 1st of 29 counties. It scores higher than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Grand County's primary driver is Economic Vitality at 77.3 — worse than roughly 77% of U.S. counties.

Economic Vitality Primary driver 77.3
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 95
Rent-to-Income Ratio 91
Business Formation Rate 5
House Price Change (YoY) 87
Housing Cost Burden 63.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 41
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 73
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 90
Homeownership Rate 71
Legal Distress 57.8
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 58
Structural Poverty 46.8
Unemployment Rate 95
Poverty Rate 25
Income vs. State Median 74
Child Poverty Rate 36
Disability Rate 47
Transfer Income Dependency 13
Consumer Credit Distress 45.3
Debt in Collections 50
Medical Debt 83
Auto Loan Delinquency 55
Credit Card Delinquency 16
Uninsured Rate 80
Subprime Credit Population 19

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Grand County
Grand County, UT 53.3 Elevated —
San Juan County, UT 51.9 Elevated -1.4
Mesa County, CO 46.1 Normal -7.2
Montrose County, CO 41.5 Normal -11.9
Uintah County, UT 41.3 Normal -12.0
Garfield County, CO 38.3 Normal -15.0
Emery County, UT 30.7 Healthy -22.7
Wayne County, UT 26.0 Healthy -27.3

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Grand County
Collingsworth County, TX 53.4 Elevated +0.1
Clark County, MO 53.1 Elevated -0.2
Guadalupe County, NM 53.1 Elevated -0.3
Quay County, NM 53.6 Elevated +0.3
West Carroll Parish, LA 53.7 Elevated +0.4

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Grand County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Grand County

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Utah State Bar Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Utah State Bar Lawyer Referral Service 801-531-9077

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Grand County residents at no cost.

Utah Legal Services 1-800-662-4245
Legal Aid Society of Salt Lake 801-328-8849

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Grand County, Utah?

    Grand County has a County Distress Index score of 53.3 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,381st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 1st in Utah out of 29 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Grand County?

    The primary driver of distress in Grand County is Economic Vitality, where the county scores 77.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Rent-to-Income Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Grand County compare to neighboring counties?

    Grand County (53.3) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: San Juan County, UT (51.9); Mesa County, CO (46.1); Montrose County, CO (41.5).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses PCA-weighted percentile scoring across five statistically derived factors: Consumer Credit Distress (47.5%), Housing Cost Burden (22.3%), Structural Poverty (13.6%), Economic Vitality (9.2%), and Legal Distress (7.4%). Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • How often is the CDI updated?

    Annually, aligned to Census American Community Survey and Urban Institute Debt in America release windows — the slowest-moving source inputs. Between annual refreshes, faster-cadence indicators (BLS unemployment, QCEW wages) may drive light mid-year updates if a specific component moves meaningfully. Current data compiled April 14, 2026; next full refresh early 2027.

  • What does the Elevated zone mean?

    The CDI divides counties into five zones: Healthy (below 46), Normal (46–55), Elevated (55–71), Serious (71–86), and Crisis (86 and above). Grand County's score of 53.3 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

  • What data sources power Grand County's CDI score?

    Grand County's CDI score draws on Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax credit-bureau panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS, QCEW), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Every number on this page traces to one of these public sources.

  • What is the population of Grand County?

    Grand County, Utah has a population of approximately 9,706 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.