Maricopa County, Arizona
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Maricopa County. Population: 4,585,871 (metro).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Maricopa County, AZ registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 50.1 — 1591st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Arizona, it ranks 13th of 15 counties. It scores lower than all 6 of its neighboring counties.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Maricopa County compares to all U.S. counties across five dimensions of financial distress. Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.
Housing Cost Burden
Primary DriverDebt & Delinquency
Community Vulnerability
Employment & Wages
Income & Poverty
How Maricopa County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maricopa County, AZ | 50.1 | Elevated | — |
| Gila County, AZ | 69.6 | Serious Stress | +19.5 |
| La Paz County, AZ | 67.2 | Serious Stress | +17.1 |
| Yuma County, AZ | 64.0 | Elevated | +13.9 |
| Pima County, AZ | 56.3 | Elevated | +6.2 |
| Pinal County, AZ | 55.9 | Elevated | +5.8 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (metro) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento County, CA | 49.6 | Normal | -0.5 |
| Fulton County, GA | 49.5 | Normal | -0.6 |
| Cook County, IL | 50.8 | Elevated | +0.7 |
| Franklin County, OH | 51.8 | Elevated | +1.7 |
| Queens County, NY | 53.3 | Elevated | +3.3 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Maricopa County as a CSV file.
Resources
Maricopa County scores in the Elevated zone. If you or someone you know is experiencing financial hardship, free help is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for Maricopa County, Arizona?
Maricopa County has a County Distress Index score of 50.1 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,591st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 13th in Arizona out of 15 counties.
What drives financial distress in Maricopa County?
The primary driver of distress in Maricopa County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 82.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).
How does Maricopa County compare to neighboring counties?
Maricopa County (50.1) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Gila County, AZ (69.6); La Paz County, AZ (67.2); Yuma County, AZ (64.0).
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. 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.
What is the population of Maricopa County?
Maricopa County, Arizona has a population of approximately 4,585,871 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a metro county.