Tulare County, California

County Distress Index: Serious · 68.9 | 479,468 people · 9th most distressed in California
American Default Research

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Tulare County, CA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 68.9 — 259th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where unemployment is elevated, wages are low relative to housing costs, and business formation lags. Within California, it ranks 9th of 58 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 4 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Tulare County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 94.1 — worse than roughly 94% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 94.1
Unemployment Rate 99
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 89
Business Formation Rate 94
Housing Cost Burden 85.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 83
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 83
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 90
Homeownership Rate 94
Rent-to-Income Ratio 79
Income & Poverty 76.2
Poverty Rate 76
Income vs. State Median 79
Child Poverty Rate 74
Debt & Delinquency 55.5
Debt in Collections 52
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 82
Auto Loan Delinquency 59
Credit Card Delinquency 83
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 50
Community Vulnerability 33.0
Uninsured Rate 50
Disability Rate 16

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Tulare County compares to its 4 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Tulare County
Tulare County, CA 68.9 Serious —
Kings County, CA 69.8 Serious +0.8
Kern County, CA 69.1 Serious +0.2
Fresno County, CA 67.9 Serious -1.0
Inyo County, CA 50.1 Elevated -18.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Tulare County
Kern County, CA 69.1 Serious +0.2
Marion County, FL 68.7 Serious -0.2
Hampden County, MA 68.5 Serious -0.5
Nueces County, TX 70.1 Serious +1.2
Escambia County, FL 67.5 Serious -1.4

Download Data

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

Find Help in Tulare County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Tulare County.

COMMUNITY SERVICES AND EMPLOYMENT TRAINING, INC. (CSET)
Visalia
559-732-4194 Website
Fair HousingPre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education
SELF HELP ENTERPRISES
Visalia
559-802-1664
Financial CounselingFair HousingPre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education

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 Tulare 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 Tulare County, California?

    Tulare County has a County Distress Index score of 68.9 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 259th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 9th in California out of 58 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Tulare County?

    The primary driver of distress in Tulare County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 94.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Tulare County compare to neighboring counties?

    Tulare County (68.9) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Kings County, CA (69.8); Kern County, CA (69.1); Fresno County, CA (67.9).

  • 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 Tulare County?

    Tulare County, California has a population of approximately 479,468 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.