Fresno County, California
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Fresno County. Population: 1,017,162 (metro).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Fresno County, CA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 67.9 — 315th 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 10th of 58 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 8 neighboring counties.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Fresno 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
Income & Poverty
Debt & Delinquency
Community Vulnerability
How Fresno County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno County, CA | 67.9 | Serious Stress | — |
| Merced County, CA | 71.7 | Serious Stress | +3.8 |
| Madera County, CA | 69.8 | Serious Stress | +1.8 |
| Kings County, CA | 69.8 | Serious Stress | +1.8 |
| Tulare County, CA | 68.9 | Serious Stress | +1.0 |
| Monterey County, CA | 60.4 | Elevated | -7.5 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (metro) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia County, PA | 66.7 | Serious Stress | -1.2 |
| Clark County, NV | 65.6 | Serious Stress | -2.3 |
| Wayne County, MI | 65.1 | Serious Stress | -2.9 |
| Duval County, FL | 64.9 | Elevated | -3.0 |
| Bexar County, TX | 62.9 | Elevated | -5.1 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Fresno County as a CSV file.
Resources
Fresno County scores in the Serious Stress zone. If you or someone you know is experiencing financial hardship, free help is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for Fresno County, California?
Fresno County has a County Distress Index score of 67.9 out of 100, placing it in the Serious Stress zone. It ranks 315th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 10th in California out of 58 counties.
What drives financial distress in Fresno County?
The primary driver of distress in Fresno County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 93.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).
How does Fresno County compare to neighboring counties?
Fresno County (67.9) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Merced County, CA (71.7); Madera County, CA (69.8); Kings County, CA (69.8).
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 Fresno County?
Fresno County, California has a population of approximately 1,017,162 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a metro county.