Alameda County, California
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Alameda County. Population: 1,622,188 (metro).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Alameda County, CA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 38.7 — 2423rd 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 California, it ranks 53rd of 58 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 6 neighboring counties.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Alameda 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 DriverEmployment & Wages
Debt & Delinquency
Income & Poverty
Community Vulnerability
How Alameda County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda County, CA | 38.7 | Normal | — |
| Stanislaus County, CA | 59.5 | Elevated | +20.8 |
| San Joaquin County, CA | 55.9 | Elevated | +17.1 |
| Contra Costa County, CA | 41.1 | Normal | +2.4 |
| San Francisco County, CA | 29.2 | Healthy | -9.6 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | 27.7 | Healthy | -11.0 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (metro) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York County, NY | 39.3 | Normal | +0.6 |
| Collin County, TX | 38.1 | Normal | -0.6 |
| Travis County, TX | 39.8 | Normal | +1.1 |
| Salt Lake County, UT | 40.5 | Normal | +1.8 |
| Contra Costa County, CA | 41.1 | Normal | +2.4 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Alameda County as a CSV file.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for Alameda County, California?
Alameda County has a County Distress Index score of 38.7 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,423rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 53rd in California out of 58 counties.
What drives financial distress in Alameda County?
The primary driver of distress in Alameda County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 91.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).
How does Alameda County compare to neighboring counties?
Alameda County (38.7) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Stanislaus County, CA (59.5); San Joaquin County, CA (55.9); Contra Costa County, CA (41.1).
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 Alameda County?
Alameda County, California has a population of approximately 1,622,188 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a metro county.