Jefferson County, Colorado

County Distress Index: Healthy · 33.3 | 576,366 people · 53rd most distressed in Colorado
American Default Research

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Jefferson County, CO ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 33.3 — 2739th 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 53rd of 64 counties. Among its 10 neighboring counties, 6 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Jefferson County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 83.4 — worse than roughly 83% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 83.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 94
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 87
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 91
Homeownership Rate 68
Rent-to-Income Ratio 78
Employment & Wages 42.6
Unemployment Rate 38
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 85
Business Formation Rate 5
Debt & Delinquency 21.4
Debt in Collections 12
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 18
Auto Loan Delinquency 15
Credit Card Delinquency 20
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 57
Community Vulnerability 14.2
Uninsured Rate 20
Disability Rate 8
Income & Poverty 5.1
Poverty Rate 5
Income vs. State Median 7
Child Poverty Rate 4

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Jefferson County compares to its 10 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Jefferson County
Jefferson County, CO 33.3 Healthy —
Adams County, CO 49.8 Normal +16.4
Arapahoe County, CO 44.6 Normal +11.3
Denver County, CO 42.7 Normal +9.4
Teller County, CO 37.3 Normal +4.0
Gilpin County, CO 34.7 Healthy +1.3
Clear Creek County, CO 33.7 Healthy +0.4
Boulder County, CO 31.4 Healthy -1.9
Park County, CO 31.3 Healthy -2.1
Broomfield County, CO 24.6 Healthy -8.8
Douglas County, CO 23.2 Healthy -10.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Jefferson County
McHenry County, IL 33.7 Healthy +0.4
St. Louis County, MO 33.0 Healthy -0.4
Frederick County, MD 32.9 Healthy -0.5
St. Johns County, FL 34.2 Healthy +0.8
Utah County, UT 32.5 Healthy -0.8

Download Data

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

Find Help in Jefferson County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Jefferson County.

BROTHERS REDEVELOPMENT, INC.
Edgewater
303-202-6340 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingHomeless/DisplacementPre-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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson County, Colorado?

    Jefferson County has a County Distress Index score of 33.3 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,739th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 53rd in Colorado out of 64 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Jefferson County?

    The primary driver of distress in Jefferson County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 83.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Jefferson County compare to neighboring counties?

    Jefferson County (33.3) can be compared to its 10 neighboring counties: Adams County, CO (49.8); 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 Jefferson County?

    Jefferson County, Colorado has a population of approximately 576,366 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.