Knox County, Maine

County Distress Index: Normal · 37.7 | 40,977 people · 12th most distressed in Maine
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Knox County, ME falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 37.7 — 2502nd 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 Maine, it ranks 12th of 16 counties. Among its 3 neighboring counties, 2 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Knox County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 70.8 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 70.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 81
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 73
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 89
Homeownership Rate 26
Rent-to-Income Ratio 85
Employment & Wages 51.8
Unemployment Rate 27
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 88
Business Formation Rate 41
Community Vulnerability 27.2
Uninsured Rate 32
Disability Rate 22
Income & Poverty 22.0
Poverty Rate 10
Income vs. State Median 31
Child Poverty Rate 25
Debt & Delinquency 16.7
Debt in Collections 18
Medical Debt 32
Student Loan Delinquency 25
Auto Loan Delinquency 13
Credit Card Delinquency 7
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 5

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Knox County compares to its 3 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Knox County
Knox County, ME 37.7 Normal —
Waldo County, ME 52.3 Elevated +14.6
Hancock County, ME 47.8 Normal +10.0
Lincoln County, ME 37.1 Normal -0.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Knox County
Nelson County, KY 37.7 Normal 0.0
Floyd County, VA 37.7 Normal -0.0
Warren County, VA 37.8 Normal +0.1
North Slope Borough, AK 37.6 Normal -0.1
Emery County, UT 37.8 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Knox County

Find an Attorney

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

Maine State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service 207-622-7523

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Knox County residents at no cost.

Pine Tree Legal Assistance 207-774-8211

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 Maine →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Knox County, Maine?

    Knox County has a County Distress Index score of 37.7 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,502nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 12th in Maine out of 16 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Knox County?

    The primary driver of distress in Knox County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 70.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Knox County compare to neighboring counties?

    Knox County (37.7) can be compared to its 3 neighboring counties: Waldo County, ME (52.3); Hancock County, ME (47.8); Lincoln County, ME (37.1).

  • 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 Knox County?

    Knox County, Maine has a population of approximately 40,977 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.