Santa Clara County, California
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Santa Clara County. Population: 1,877,592 (metro).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Santa Clara County, CA ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 27.7 — 2963rd 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 57th of 58 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Santa Clara 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
Community Vulnerability
Income & Poverty
How Santa Clara County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara County, CA | 27.7 | Healthy | — |
| Merced County, CA | 71.7 | Serious Stress | +44.0 |
| Stanislaus County, CA | 59.5 | Elevated | +31.8 |
| Santa Cruz County, CA | 48.8 | Normal | +21.1 |
| San Benito County, CA | 47.0 | Normal | +19.3 |
| Alameda County, CA | 38.7 | Normal | +11.0 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (metro) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland County, MI | 28.5 | Healthy | +0.7 |
| Fairfax County, VA | 26.6 | Healthy | -1.2 |
| Nassau County, NY | 29.3 | Healthy | +1.5 |
| Hennepin County, MN | 31.6 | Healthy | +3.8 |
| King County, WA | 31.8 | Healthy | +4.0 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Santa Clara County as a CSV file.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for Santa Clara County, California?
Santa Clara County has a County Distress Index score of 27.7 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,963rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 57th in California out of 58 counties.
What drives financial distress in Santa Clara County?
The primary driver of distress in Santa Clara County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 82.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).
How does Santa Clara County compare to neighboring counties?
Santa Clara County (27.7) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Merced County, CA (71.7); Stanislaus County, CA (59.5); Santa Cruz County, CA (48.8).
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 Santa Clara County?
Santa Clara County, California has a population of approximately 1,877,592 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a metro county.