Colusa County, California

County Distress Index: Elevated · 55.2 | 22,037 people · 33rd most distressed in California
American Default Research

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Colusa County, CA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 55.2 — 1188th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where unemployment is elevated, wages are low relative to housing costs, and business formation lags. Within California, it ranks 33rd of 58 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Colusa County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 84.2 — worse than roughly 84% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 84.2
Unemployment Rate 100
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 58
Business Formation Rate 94
Housing Cost Burden 75.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 70
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 52
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 93
Homeownership Rate 90
Rent-to-Income Ratio 71
Income & Poverty 53.1
Poverty Rate 40
Income vs. State Median 88
Child Poverty Rate 31
Community Vulnerability 41.7
Uninsured Rate 58
Disability Rate 25
Debt & Delinquency 22.0
Debt in Collections 23
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 4
Auto Loan Delinquency 10
Credit Card Delinquency 50
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 38

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Colusa County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Colusa County
Colusa County, CA 55.2 Elevated —
Lake County, CA 73.2 Serious +18.0
Butte County, CA 70.7 Serious +15.5
Sutter County, CA 61.2 Elevated +6.0
Glenn County, CA 60.9 Elevated +5.6
Yolo County, CA 49.6 Normal -5.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Colusa County
Custer County, OK 55.2 Elevated -0.0
Baker County, OR 55.2 Elevated -0.1
Coles County, IL 55.1 Elevated -0.1
Lawrence County, IL 55.1 Elevated -0.1
Muhlenberg County, KY 55.1 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Colusa County

Find an Attorney

State Bar of California — Find a Lawyer offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

State Bar of California — Find a Lawyer 1-866-442-2529

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Colusa County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) 1-800-399-4529
Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County (NLSLA) 1-800-433-6251
Bay Area Legal Aid 1-800-551-5554
Legal Services of Northern California 1-800-822-9687
California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA) 1-800-337-0690
Inland Counties Legal Services (ICLS) 1-888-245-4257
Legal Aid Society of San Diego 1-877-534-2524
Community Legal Aid SoCal 1-800-834-5001
California Indian Legal Services, Inc. (760) 746-8941
Central California Legal Services (800) 675-8001
Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance, Inc. (661) 325-5943

Self-Help Resources

California Courts Self-Help — Foreclosure and Mortgage Help Official California courts self-help resource with information on foreclosure procedures, homeowner rights, tenant protections in foreclosure, and links to free legal help.
LawHelpCA — Foreclosure Prevention Statewide legal aid directory connecting Californians with free legal information and local legal aid providers for foreclosure prevention, including links to self-help guides and intake forms.
California Attorney General — Homeowner Bill of Rights Official AG page explaining HBOR protections, including fact sheets on dual-tracking prohibition, single point of contact, and how to file a complaint about servicer violations.
DFPI Mortgage Relief Resources DFPI consumer resources for housing and mortgage issues, including information on PACE financing, foreclosure scam alerts, and how to file complaints against licensees.

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Colusa County, California?

    Colusa County has a County Distress Index score of 55.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,188th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 33rd in California out of 58 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Colusa County?

    The primary driver of distress in Colusa County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 84.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Colusa County compare to neighboring counties?

    Colusa County (55.2) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Lake County, CA (73.2); Butte County, CA (70.7); Sutter County, CA (61.2).

  • 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 Colusa County?

    Colusa County, California has a population of approximately 22,037 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.