El Paso County, Colorado

County Distress Index: Normal · 42.2 | 744,215 people · 30th most distressed in Colorado
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El Paso County, CO falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 42.2 — 2197th 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 30th of 64 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. El Paso County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 85.4 — worse than roughly 85% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 85.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 95
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 86
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 95
Homeownership Rate 81
Rent-to-Income Ratio 70
Employment & Wages 45.1
Unemployment Rate 49
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 83
Business Formation Rate 4
Debt & Delinquency 40.5
Debt in Collections 36
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 43
Auto Loan Delinquency 46
Credit Card Delinquency 47
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 64
Community Vulnerability 30.7
Uninsured Rate 41
Disability Rate 20
Income & Poverty 9.1
Poverty Rate 5
Income vs. State Median 16
Child Poverty Rate 7

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. El Paso County
El Paso County, CO 42.2 Normal —
Crowley County, CO 65.0 Serious +22.9
Pueblo County, CO 62.1 Elevated +19.9
Fremont County, CO 57.8 Elevated +15.6
Lincoln County, CO 49.8 Normal +7.6
Teller County, CO 37.3 Normal -4.9
Elbert County, CO 23.4 Healthy -18.8
Douglas County, CO 23.2 Healthy -19.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. El Paso County
Henrico County, VA 42.1 Normal -0.1
Kane County, IL 42.3 Normal +0.1
Rockland County, NY 42.4 Normal +0.2
Fort Bend County, TX 42.4 Normal +0.2
Kitsap County, WA 41.9 Normal -0.2

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for El Paso County as a CSV file.

Find Help in El Paso County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near El Paso County.

THE COMMUNITY FIRM DBA COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEFENSE PROJECT CEDP- COLORADO SPRINGS
Colorado Springs
303-276-5705 Website
Foreclosure PreventionHomeless/DisplacementRental Help

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 El Paso 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 El Paso County, Colorado?

    El Paso County has a County Distress Index score of 42.2 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,197th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 30th in Colorado out of 64 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in El Paso County?

    The primary driver of distress in El Paso County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 85.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does El Paso County compare to neighboring counties?

    El Paso County (42.2) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Crowley County, CO (65.0); Pueblo County, CO (62.1); Fremont County, CO (57.8).

  • 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 El Paso County?

    El Paso County, Colorado has a population of approximately 744,215 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.