Inyo County, California

County Distress Index: Elevated · 50.1 | 18,527 people · 37th most distressed in California
American Default Research

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Inyo County, CA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 50.1 — 1588th 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 37th of 58 counties. Among its 8 neighboring counties, 7 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Inyo County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 80.6 — worse than roughly 81% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 80.6
Unemployment Rate 74
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 79
Business Formation Rate 89
Housing Cost Burden 55.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 24
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 15
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 77
Homeownership Rate 80
Rent-to-Income Ratio 82
Income & Poverty 48.4
Poverty Rate 36
Income vs. State Median 78
Child Poverty Rate 31
Community Vulnerability 45.7
Uninsured Rate 41
Disability Rate 50
Debt & Delinquency 20.4
Debt in Collections 20
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 43
Auto Loan Delinquency 23
Credit Card Delinquency 12
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 17

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Inyo County compares to its 8 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Inyo County
Inyo County, CA 50.1 Elevated —
Esmeralda County, NV 75.5 Serious +25.4
Kern County, CA 69.1 Serious +19.0
Tulare County, CA 68.9 Serious +18.8
Fresno County, CA 67.9 Serious +17.8
Nye County, NV 67.4 Serious +17.3
Clark County, NV 65.6 Serious +15.5
San Bernardino County, CA 60.8 Elevated +10.7
Mono County, CA 41.4 Normal -8.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Inyo County
Lumpkin County, GA 50.1 Elevated 0.0
Allegany County, NY 50.1 Elevated +0.0
Lafayette County, MO 50.1 Elevated +0.0
Graham County, AZ 50.0 Elevated -0.1
Jefferson County, IA 50.2 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Inyo 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 Inyo 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Inyo County has a County Distress Index score of 50.1 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,588th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 37th in California out of 58 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Inyo County?

    The primary driver of distress in Inyo County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 80.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Inyo County compare to neighboring counties?

    Inyo County (50.1) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Esmeralda County, NV (75.5); Kern County, CA (69.1); Tulare County, CA (68.9).

  • 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 Inyo County?

    Inyo County, California has a population of approximately 18,527 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.