Kent County, Delaware

County Distress Index: Elevated · 61.4 | 189,789 people · 1st most distressed in Delaware
American Default Research

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Kent County, DE registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 61.4 — 724th 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 Delaware, it ranks 1st of 3 counties. Among its 8 neighboring counties, 7 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Kent County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 82.3 — worse than roughly 82% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 82.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 92
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 83
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 94
Homeownership Rate 66
Rent-to-Income Ratio 76
Debt & Delinquency 72.5
Debt in Collections 72
Medical Debt 51
Student Loan Delinquency 75
Auto Loan Delinquency 78
Credit Card Delinquency 85
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 75
Employment & Wages 56.8
Unemployment Rate 88
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 82
Business Formation Rate 0
Income & Poverty 48.1
Poverty Rate 35
Income vs. State Median 68
Child Poverty Rate 41
Community Vulnerability 47.2
Uninsured Rate 40
Disability Rate 54

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Kent County
Kent County, DE 61.4 Elevated —
Cumberland County, NJ 74.9 Serious +13.5
Salem County, NJ 59.9 Elevated -1.5
Caroline County, MD 59.2 Elevated -2.2
Cape May County, NJ 51.2 Elevated -10.2
Kent County, MD 50.4 Elevated -11.0
New Castle County, DE 49.5 Normal -11.9
Sussex County, DE 46.3 Normal -15.1
Queen Anne's County, MD 31.7 Healthy -29.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Kent County
Carroll County, GA 61.3 Elevated -0.1
Isabella County, MI 61.5 Elevated +0.1
Cherokee County, TX 61.3 Elevated -0.1
St. Francois County, MO 61.5 Elevated +0.1
Coryell County, TX 61.2 Elevated -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Kent County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Kent County.

FIRST STATE COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY, INC.
Dover
302-674-1355-114 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingPost-PurchasePre-Purchase
NEIGHBORGOOD PARTNERS
Dover
302-678-9400 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingPre-Purchase

See all counselors in Delaware →

Find an Attorney

Delaware State Bar Association Lawyer Referral offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Delaware State Bar Association Lawyer Referral 302-658-5279

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Kent County residents at no cost.

Community Legal Aid Society, Inc. (CLASI) 302-575-0660
Delaware Volunteer Legal Services (DVLS) 302-478-8680
Legal Services Corporation of Delaware 302-575-0408

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 Delaware →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Kent County, Delaware?

    Kent County has a County Distress Index score of 61.4 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 724th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 1st in Delaware out of 3 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Kent County?

    The primary driver of distress in Kent County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 82.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Kent County compare to neighboring counties?

    Kent County (61.4) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Cumberland County, NJ (74.9); Salem County, NJ (59.9); Caroline County, MD (59.2).

  • 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 Kent County?

    Kent County, Delaware has a population of approximately 189,789 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.