Sutter County, California
More than double the national median for unemployment — and 28.7× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Loving County, TX — 0%).
Main Findings
Sutter County, California ranks 764th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 9% of the labor force is unemployed — more than double the national median of 4%.
- 764th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Second-most distressed fifth, 18th in California.
- 9% of the labor force is unemployed (U.S. median 4%). Unemployment at the 99th percentile nationally.
- Rent-to-income ratio at 26% — national median 21%, ranked at the 84th percentile.
- Bankruptcy filing rate at 154 — national median 126, ranked at the 61st percentile.
- Credit card delinquency at 7% — national median 5%, ranked at the 68th percentile.
Neighbors span four CDI distress fifths. The 33-point drop to Placer County marks where the California distress corridor ends.
"Sutter County ranks in the second-most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The score is above the national county midpoint, with the domain table showing the local pressure mix."
"The CDI places this county in the second-most distressed fifth nationally. The county sits above the median distress position, with the five-domain profile showing which local pressures carry the score."
The Indicators Behind Sutter County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Sutter County's value shown alongside CA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Sutter | CA median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 50 · Rank 1,542 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 4% | 4% | 5% | 35th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 7% | 5% | 5% | 68th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 23% | 20% | 23% | 48th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 51 · Rank 1,490 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 21% | 18% | 23% | 40th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 154 | 119 | 126 | 61st | US Courts F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 75 · Rank 559 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 26% | 27% | 21% | 84th | HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 20% | 25% | 18% | 66th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 99 · Rank 12 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 9% | 5% | 4% | 99th | BLS LAUS (Dec 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 47 · Rank 1,686 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 19% | 16% | 18% | 57th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 14% | 13% | 16% | 37th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 15% | 13% | 14% | 63rd | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers | 26% | 24% | 27% | 43rd | BEA Regional Personal Income (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 6% | 6% | 8% | 29th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Business Formation Statistics), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2023 to 2025 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Sutter County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 153-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
YUBA CITY, Calif. — Sutter County ranks 764th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 64 out of 100 places Sutter in the second-most distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 763 counties rank more distressed. Within California, Sutter ranks 18th of 58 counties.
The index, which draws on 16 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies labor as the primary driver in Sutter. 9% of the labor force is unemployed — more than double the national median of 4%.
"Sutter County ranks in the second-most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The score is above the national county midpoint, with the domain table showing the local pressure mix," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sutter County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
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How does Sutter County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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