Los Angeles County, California
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Los Angeles County. Population: 9,663,345 (metro).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Los Angeles County, CA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 54.6 — 1242nd 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 34th of 58 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 4 neighboring counties.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles County, CA | 54.6 | Elevated | — |
| Kern County, CA | 69.1 | Serious Stress | +14.6 |
| San Bernardino County, CA | 60.8 | Elevated | +6.3 |
| Ventura County, CA | 48.6 | Normal | -5.9 |
| Orange County, CA | 41.9 | Normal | -12.7 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (metro) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Beach County, FL | 54.5 | Elevated | -0.0 |
| Cuyahoga County, OH | 53.7 | Elevated | -0.9 |
| Queens County, NY | 53.3 | Elevated | -1.2 |
| Riverside County, CA | 56.0 | Elevated | +1.5 |
| Pima County, AZ | 56.3 | Elevated | +1.7 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Los Angeles County as a CSV file.
Resources
Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles County, California?
Los Angeles County has a County Distress Index score of 54.6 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,242nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 34th in California out of 58 counties.
What drives financial distress in Los Angeles County?
The primary driver of distress in Los Angeles County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 97.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).
How does Los Angeles County compare to neighboring counties?
Los Angeles County (54.6) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Kern County, CA (69.1); San Bernardino County, CA (60.8); Ventura County, CA (48.6).
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 Los Angeles County?
Los Angeles County, California has a population of approximately 9,663,345 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a metro county.