Orleans Parish, Louisiana

County Distress Index: Serious · 66.6 | 364,136 people · 18th most distressed in Louisiana
American Default Research

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Orleans Parish, LA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 66.6 — 399th 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 Louisiana, it ranks 18th of 64 counties. Among its 4 neighboring counties, 3 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Orleans Parish's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 95.3 — worse than roughly 95% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 95.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 96
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 99
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 89
Homeownership Rate 98
Rent-to-Income Ratio 95
Debt & Delinquency 81.1
Debt in Collections 90
Medical Debt 48
Student Loan Delinquency 92
Auto Loan Delinquency 97
Credit Card Delinquency 88
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 72
Income & Poverty 77.6
Poverty Rate 93
Income vs. State Median 46
Child Poverty Rate 94
Community Vulnerability 43.5
Uninsured Rate 53
Disability Rate 34
Employment & Wages 35.6
Unemployment Rate 67
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 37
Business Formation Rate 3

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Orleans Parish compares to its 4 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Orleans Parish
Orleans Parish, LA 66.6 Serious —
St. Bernard Parish, LA 68.3 Serious +1.6
Jefferson Parish, LA 62.6 Elevated -4.0
St. Tammany Parish, LA 48.5 Normal -18.1
Plaquemines Parish, LA 45.6 Normal -21.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Orleans Parish
Essex County, NJ 66.7 Serious +0.1
Polk County, FL 66.5 Serious -0.2
Jefferson County, TX 66.8 Serious +0.2
Volusia County, FL 65.8 Serious -0.8
Cumberland County, NC 65.7 Serious -0.9

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Orleans Parish as a CSV file.

Find Help in Orleans Parish

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Orleans Parish.

DESIRE COMMUNITY HOUSING CORPORATION
New Orleans
504-905-1425 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingPre-Purchase
FAMILY RESOURCES OF NEW ORLEANS
New Orleans
504-822-8519 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingFair Housing
LOUISIANA FAIR HOUSING ACTION CENTER, INC.
New Orleans
504-596-2100 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage Help
NEW ORLEANS NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION
New Orleans
504-488-0155 Website
Post-PurchasePre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education
NSC (NACA COUNSELING SUBSIDIARY) - NEW ORLEANS, LA
NEW ORLEANS
504-241-2090 Website

See all counselors in Louisiana →

Find an Attorney

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

Louisiana State Bar Association Lawyer Referral 1-800-421-5722

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Orleans Parish residents at no cost.

Southeast Louisiana Legal Services 504-529-1000
Acadiana Legal Service Corporation 1-800-256-1175
Southeast Louisiana Legal Services Corporation (504) 529-1000

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 Louisiana →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Orleans Parish, Louisiana?

    Orleans Parish has a County Distress Index score of 66.6 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 399th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 18th in Louisiana out of 64 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Orleans Parish?

    The primary driver of distress in Orleans Parish is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 95.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Orleans Parish compare to neighboring counties?

    Orleans Parish (66.6) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: St. Bernard Parish, LA (68.3); Jefferson Parish, LA (62.6); St. Tammany Parish, LA (48.5).

  • 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 Orleans Parish?

    Orleans Parish, Louisiana has a population of approximately 364,136 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.