Stanislaus County, California

County Distress Index: Elevated · 59.5 | 551,430 people · 26th most distressed in California
American Default Research

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Stanislaus County, CA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 59.5 — 872nd 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 26th of 58 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Stanislaus County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 89.8 — worse than roughly 90% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 89.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 91
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 90
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 92
Homeownership Rate 92
Rent-to-Income Ratio 84
Employment & Wages 83.3
Unemployment Rate 96
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 88
Business Formation Rate 66
Debt & Delinquency 56.4
Debt in Collections 49
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 68
Auto Loan Delinquency 55
Credit Card Delinquency 78
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 82
Income & Poverty 43.3
Poverty Rate 42
Income vs. State Median 48
Child Poverty Rate 40
Community Vulnerability 24.8
Uninsured Rate 29
Disability Rate 20

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Stanislaus County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Stanislaus County
Stanislaus County, CA 59.5 Elevated —
Merced County, CA 71.7 Serious +12.2
Mariposa County, CA 65.3 Serious +5.8
Tuolumne County, CA 61.1 Elevated +1.6
Calaveras County, CA 58.0 Elevated -1.6
San Joaquin County, CA 55.9 Elevated -3.7
Alameda County, CA 38.7 Normal -20.8
Santa Clara County, CA 27.7 Healthy -31.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Stanislaus County
Leon County, FL 59.5 Elevated +0.0
Bell County, TX 59.6 Elevated +0.0
Lee County, FL 59.5 Elevated -0.1
East Baton Rouge Parish, LA 59.5 Elevated -0.1
Montgomery County, OH 59.9 Elevated +0.4

Download Data

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

Find Help in Stanislaus County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Stanislaus County.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY, STANISLAUS COUNTY
Modesto
209-575-4585
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling

See all counselors in California →

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 Stanislaus 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.

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in California →

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Stanislaus County has a County Distress Index score of 59.5 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 872nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 26th in California out of 58 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Stanislaus County?

    The primary driver of distress in Stanislaus County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 89.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Stanislaus County compare to neighboring counties?

    Stanislaus County (59.5) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Merced County, CA (71.7); Mariposa County, CA (65.3); Tuolumne County, CA (61.1).

  • 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 Stanislaus County?

    Stanislaus County, California has a population of approximately 551,430 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.