Washington County, Colorado

County Distress Index: Normal · 42.0 | 4,855 people · 32nd most distressed in Colorado
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Washington County, CO falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 42.0 — 2213th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Colorado, it ranks 32nd of 64 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 6 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Washington County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 67.0 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 67.0
Poverty Rate 56
Income vs. State Median 95
Child Poverty Rate 50
Employment & Wages 47.0
Unemployment Rate 23
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 83
Business Formation Rate 36
Housing Cost Burden 44.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 14
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 33
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 33
Homeownership Rate 63
Rent-to-Income Ratio 78
Community Vulnerability 26.3
Uninsured Rate 32
Disability Rate 20
Debt & Delinquency 25.2
Debt in Collections 20
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 39
Auto Loan Delinquency 22
Credit Card Delinquency 15
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 49

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Washington County
Washington County, CO 42.0 Normal —
Logan County, CO 50.9 Elevated +8.9
Lincoln County, CO 49.8 Normal +7.9
Adams County, CO 49.8 Normal +7.8
Kit Carson County, CO 48.1 Normal +6.2
Morgan County, CO 45.3 Normal +3.3
Arapahoe County, CO 44.6 Normal +2.7
Yuma County, CO 39.9 Normal -2.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Washington County
McPherson County, NE 42.0 Normal -0.0
DeKalb County, MO 41.9 Normal -0.1
Harper County, OK 41.9 Normal -0.1
Osborne County, KS 42.0 Normal +0.1
Dolores County, CO 42.1 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington County, Colorado?

    Washington County has a County Distress Index score of 42.0 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,213th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 32nd in Colorado out of 64 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Washington County?

    The primary driver of distress in Washington County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 67.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Washington County compare to neighboring counties?

    Washington County (42.0) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Logan County, CO (50.9); Lincoln County, CO (49.8); Adams County, CO (49.8).

  • 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 Washington County?

    Washington County, Colorado has a population of approximately 4,855 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.