San Bernardino County, California
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for San Bernardino County. Population: 2,195,611 (metro).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
San Bernardino County, CA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 60.8 — 774th 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 23rd of 58 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 8 neighboring counties.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How San Bernardino 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 San Bernardino County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Bernardino County, CA | 60.8 | Elevated | — |
| Kern County, CA | 69.1 | Serious Stress | +8.3 |
| Mohave County, AZ | 68.3 | Serious Stress | +7.5 |
| La Paz County, AZ | 67.2 | Serious Stress | +6.4 |
| Clark County, NV | 65.6 | Serious Stress | +4.8 |
| Riverside County, CA | 56.0 | Elevated | -4.8 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (metro) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas County, TX | 60.3 | Elevated | -0.5 |
| Orange County, FL | 59.5 | Elevated | -1.3 |
| Hillsborough County, FL | 59.2 | Elevated | -1.6 |
| Harris County, TX | 59.2 | Elevated | -1.6 |
| Broward County, FL | 59.1 | Elevated | -1.8 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for San Bernardino County as a CSV file.
Resources
San Bernardino 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 San Bernardino County, California?
San Bernardino County has a County Distress Index score of 60.8 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 774th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 23rd in California out of 58 counties.
What drives financial distress in San Bernardino County?
The primary driver of distress in San Bernardino County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 96.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).
How does San Bernardino County compare to neighboring counties?
San Bernardino County (60.8) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Kern County, CA (69.1); Mohave County, AZ (68.3); La Paz County, AZ (67.2).
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 San Bernardino County?
San Bernardino County, California has a population of approximately 2,195,611 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a metro county.