Adams County, Colorado

County Distress Index: Normal · 49.8 | 533,365 people · 21st most distressed in Colorado
American Default Research

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Adams County, CO falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 49.8 — 1611th 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 Colorado, it ranks 21st of 64 counties. It scores higher than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Adams County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 89.7 — worse than roughly 90% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 89.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 98
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 91
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 99
Homeownership Rate 74
Rent-to-Income Ratio 86
Employment & Wages 50.6
Unemployment Rate 55
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 90
Business Formation Rate 6
Debt & Delinquency 49.9
Debt in Collections 49
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 49
Auto Loan Delinquency 55
Credit Card Delinquency 69
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 72
Community Vulnerability 41.5
Uninsured Rate 72
Disability Rate 11
Income & Poverty 17.1
Poverty Rate 18
Income vs. State Median 11
Child Poverty Rate 23

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Adams County
Adams County, CO 49.8 Normal —
Morgan County, CO 45.3 Normal -4.5
Arapahoe County, CO 44.6 Normal -5.1
Denver County, CO 42.7 Normal -7.1
Washington County, CO 42.0 Normal -7.8
Weld County, CO 41.6 Normal -8.1
Jefferson County, CO 33.3 Healthy -16.4
Broomfield County, CO 24.6 Healthy -25.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Adams County
Sedgwick County, KS 50.0 Normal +0.2
Sarasota County, FL 49.5 Normal -0.3
New Castle County, DE 49.5 Normal -0.3
Mercer County, NJ 49.3 Normal -0.4
Dauphin County, PA 49.3 Normal -0.5

Download Data

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

Find Help in Adams County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Adams County.

COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND HOUSING DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Westminster
303-428-1448 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingPre-Purchase
OPERATION HOPE-COMMERCE CITY CO
Commerce City
720-900-1644 Website
Homeless/DisplacementPre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education

See all counselors in Colorado →

Find an Attorney

Colorado Bar Association — Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Colorado Bar Association — Lawyer Referral Service 303-831-8000

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Adams County residents at no cost.

Colorado Legal Services 303-837-1313 (Denver); 1-866-529-6257 (statewide)
Colorado Volunteer Lawyer Resource (CVLR) 303-722-0300
Colorado Bar Association — Lawyer Referral Service 303-831-8000 (Denver); 1-800-332-6736 (statewide)

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 Colorado →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Adams County, Colorado?

    Adams County has a County Distress Index score of 49.8 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,611th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 21st in Colorado out of 64 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Adams County?

    The primary driver of distress in Adams County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 89.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Adams County compare to neighboring counties?

    Adams County (49.8) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Morgan County, CO (45.3); Arapahoe County, CO (44.6); Denver County, CO (42.7).

  • 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 Adams County?

    Adams County, Colorado has a population of approximately 533,365 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.