Baltimore city, Maryland
Above the national median for rent-to-income ratio — and 3.2× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Steele County, ND — 12%).
Main Findings
Baltimore city, Maryland ranks 27th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: a rent-to-income ratio of 38% — above the national median of 21%. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).
- 27th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 87.3 · very high county distress, 1st in Maryland.
- A rent-to-income ratio of 38% (U.S. median 21%). Rent-to-income ratio at the 100th percentile nationally. Source: HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
- Auto loan delinquency at 11% — national median 5%, ranked at the 95th percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Bankruptcy filing rate at 361 — national median 126, ranked at the 94th percentile. Source: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025).
- Unemployment at 5% — national median 4%, ranked at the 91st percentile. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026).
Neighbors span two CDI score labels. The 26-point drop to Anne Arundel County marks where the Maryland distress corridor ends.
Baltimore city has a very high county distress score. The domain table shows which local pressure carries the composite.
The CDI gives this county a very high county distress label. The five-domain profile shows which local pressures carry the score. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Baltimore city's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Baltimore city's value shown alongside MD's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Baltimore city | MD median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 95 · Rank 84 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 11% | 5% | 5% | 95th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 10% | 5% | 5% | 94th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 39% | 21% | 23% | 94th | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 92 · Rank 107 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 37% | 18% | 23% | 90th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 361 | 146 | 126 | 94th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 96 · Rank 38 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 38% | 21% | 21% | 100th | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 27% | 22% | 18% | 93rd | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 91 · Rank 279 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 5% | 4% | 4% | 91st | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 63 · Rank 1,068 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 26% | 13% | 18% | 83rd | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 16% | 12% | 16% | 56th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 20% | 10% | 14% | 87th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 6% | 5% | 8% | 27th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), FRED/Equifax (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2022 to 2026 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Baltimore city data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 130-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
BALTIMORE, Md. — Baltimore city ranks 27th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 87.3 out of 100 gives Baltimore city a very high county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, only 26 rank more distressed. Within Maryland, Baltimore city ranks first of 24 counties.
The index, which draws on 13 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies debt burden (housing basis) as the primary driver in Baltimore. A rent-to-income ratio of 38% — above the national median of 21%.
American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Baltimore city's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Baltimore city's distress score?
How does Baltimore city compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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