Denver County, Colorado

County Distress Index: Normal · 42.7 | 716,577 people · 29th most distressed in Colorado
American Default Research

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Denver County, CO falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 42.7 — 2159th 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 29th of 64 counties. Among its 3 neighboring counties, 2 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Denver County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 86.1 — worse than roughly 86% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 86.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 81
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 72
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 91
Homeownership Rate 99
Rent-to-Income Ratio 88
Debt & Delinquency 40.0
Debt in Collections 37
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 34
Auto Loan Delinquency 53
Credit Card Delinquency 48
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 61
Employment & Wages 34.4
Unemployment Rate 55
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 47
Business Formation Rate 1
Community Vulnerability 30.8
Uninsured Rate 56
Disability Rate 5
Income & Poverty 22.3
Poverty Rate 24
Income vs. State Median 12
Child Poverty Rate 31

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Denver County compares to its 3 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Denver County
Denver County, CO 42.7 Normal —
Adams County, CO 49.8 Normal +7.1
Arapahoe County, CO 44.6 Normal +1.9
Jefferson County, CO 33.3 Healthy -9.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Denver County
Sonoma County, CA 42.7 Normal -0.0
Durham County, NC 42.9 Normal +0.2
Lancaster County, PA 42.5 Normal -0.2
Fort Bend County, TX 42.4 Normal -0.3
Rockland County, NY 42.4 Normal -0.4

Download Data

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

Find Help in Denver County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Denver County.

COLORADO HOUSING ASSISTANCE CORPORATION
Denver
303-572-9445 Website
Foreclosure PreventionPre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education
DENVER HOUSING AUTHORITY
Denver
720-956-3806 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingPost-Purchase
NEWSED CDC
Denver
036-534-8342 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingHome Improvement/RehabPost-Purchase
NORTHEAST DENVER HOUSING CENTER
Denver
303-377-3334-229 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingHome Improvement/Rehab
SOUTHWEST IMPROVEMENT COUNCIL
Denver
303-934-0923 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFair HousingPre-Purchase

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 Denver 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 Denver County, Colorado?

    Denver County has a County Distress Index score of 42.7 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,159th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 29th in Colorado out of 64 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Denver County?

    The primary driver of distress in Denver County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 86.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Denver County compare to neighboring counties?

    Denver County (42.7) can be compared to its 3 neighboring counties: Adams County, CO (49.8); Arapahoe County, CO (44.6); Jefferson County, CO (33.3).

  • 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 Denver County?

    Denver County, Colorado has a population of approximately 716,577 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.