Gunnison County, Colorado

County Distress Index: Healthy · 33.1 | 17,321 people · 54th most distressed in Colorado
American Default Research

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Gunnison County, CO ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 33.1 — 2751st 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 54th of 64 counties. Among its 8 neighboring counties, 7 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Gunnison County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 78.2 — worse than roughly 78% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 78.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 92
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 95
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 84
Homeownership Rate 80
Rent-to-Income Ratio 40
Employment & Wages 34.2
Unemployment Rate 19
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 79
Business Formation Rate 5
Income & Poverty 21.5
Poverty Rate 26
Income vs. State Median 30
Child Poverty Rate 8
Community Vulnerability 18.0
Uninsured Rate 31
Disability Rate 5
Debt & Delinquency 13.8
Debt in Collections 5
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 35
Auto Loan Delinquency 5
Credit Card Delinquency 27
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 5

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Gunnison County compares to its 8 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Gunnison County
Gunnison County, CO 33.1 Healthy —
Delta County, CO 58.5 Elevated +25.3
Saguache County, CO 58.4 Elevated +25.3
Mesa County, CO 49.1 Normal +16.0
Montrose County, CO 44.2 Normal +11.0
Ouray County, CO 37.0 Normal +3.9
Chaffee County, CO 36.0 Normal +2.9
Hinsdale County, CO 34.0 Healthy +0.8
Pitkin County, CO 24.5 Healthy -8.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Gunnison County
DeKalb County, IN 33.1 Healthy -0.0
Emmet County, MI 33.2 Healthy +0.1
Clarke County, VA 33.0 Healthy -0.1
Custer County, NE 33.3 Healthy +0.1
Elk County, PA 33.3 Healthy +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Gunnison 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 Gunnison 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 Gunnison County, Colorado?

    Gunnison County has a County Distress Index score of 33.1 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,751st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 54th in Colorado out of 64 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Gunnison County?

    The primary driver of distress in Gunnison County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 78.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Gunnison County compare to neighboring counties?

    Gunnison County (33.1) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Delta County, CO (58.5); Saguache County, CO (58.4); Mesa County, CO (49.1).

  • 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 Gunnison County?

    Gunnison County, Colorado has a population of approximately 17,321 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.