Garfield County, Colorado

County Distress Index: Normal · 37.9 | 62,707 people · 39th most distressed in Colorado
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Garfield County, CO falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 37.9 — 2485th 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 39th of 64 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Garfield County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 70.9 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 70.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 90
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 61
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 89
Homeownership Rate 72
Rent-to-Income Ratio 43
Community Vulnerability 48.4
Uninsured Rate 94
Disability Rate 3
Employment & Wages 30.8
Unemployment Rate 10
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 79
Business Formation Rate 3
Debt & Delinquency 27.2
Debt in Collections 16
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 71
Auto Loan Delinquency 29
Credit Card Delinquency 23
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 17
Income & Poverty 12.3
Poverty Rate 13
Income vs. State Median 11
Child Poverty Rate 12

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Garfield County
Garfield County, CO 37.9 Normal —
Grand County, UT 58.9 Elevated +21.0
Mesa County, CO 49.1 Normal +11.2
Uintah County, UT 41.5 Normal +3.6
Eagle County, CO 33.7 Healthy -4.2
Rio Blanco County, CO 32.1 Healthy -5.8
Routt County, CO 29.5 Healthy -8.4
Pitkin County, CO 24.5 Healthy -13.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Garfield County
Cass County, MO 37.9 Normal +0.0
Lincoln County, MO 37.9 Normal +0.0
Ogle County, IL 37.6 Normal -0.3
Scott County, IA 38.1 Normal +0.3
Augusta County, VA 37.6 Normal -0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Garfield County

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 Garfield 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Garfield County has a County Distress Index score of 37.9 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,485th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 39th in Colorado out of 64 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Garfield County?

    The primary driver of distress in Garfield County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 70.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Garfield County compare to neighboring counties?

    Garfield County (37.9) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Grand County, UT (58.9); Mesa County, CO (49.1); Uintah County, UT (41.5).

  • 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 Garfield County?

    Garfield County, Colorado has a population of approximately 62,707 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.