Pitkin County, Colorado

County Distress Index: Healthy · 24.5 | 16,640 people · 62nd most distressed in Colorado
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Pitkin County, CO ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 24.5 — 3044th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where housing costs consume a moderate share of household income. Within Colorado, it ranks 62nd of 64 counties. It scores lower than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Pitkin County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 63.9 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 63.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 77
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 37
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 51
Homeownership Rate 79
Rent-to-Income Ratio 76
Employment & Wages 33.4
Unemployment Rate 5
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 90
Business Formation Rate 5
Debt & Delinquency 11.7
Debt in Collections 5
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 5
Auto Loan Delinquency 37
Credit Card Delinquency 11
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 5
Community Vulnerability 8.7
Uninsured Rate 12
Disability Rate 5
Income & Poverty 5.0
Poverty Rate 5
Income vs. State Median 5
Child Poverty Rate 5

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Pitkin County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Pitkin County
Pitkin County, CO 24.5 Healthy —
Mesa County, CO 49.1 Normal +24.6
Lake County, CO 40.3 Normal +15.8
Garfield County, CO 37.9 Normal +13.4
Chaffee County, CO 36.0 Normal +11.5
Eagle County, CO 33.7 Healthy +9.2
Gunnison County, CO 33.1 Healthy +8.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Pitkin County
Pottawatomie County, KS 24.5 Healthy -0.0
Powhatan County, VA 24.6 Healthy +0.1
Seward County, NE 24.3 Healthy -0.3
Wasatch County, UT 24.9 Healthy +0.4
Woodford County, IL 24.1 Healthy -0.4

Download Data

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

Find Help in Pitkin 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 Pitkin 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 Pitkin County, Colorado?

    Pitkin County has a County Distress Index score of 24.5 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 3,044th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 62nd in Colorado out of 64 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Pitkin County?

    The primary driver of distress in Pitkin County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 63.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Pitkin County compare to neighboring counties?

    Pitkin County (24.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Mesa County, CO (49.1); Lake County, CO (40.3); Garfield County, CO (37.9).

  • 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 Pitkin County?

    Pitkin County, Colorado has a population of approximately 16,640 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.