Baltimore County, Maryland

County Distress Index: Normal · 48.6 | 844,703 people · 10th most distressed in Maryland
American Default Research

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Baltimore County, MD falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 48.6 — 1700th 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 Maryland, it ranks 10th of 24 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Baltimore County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 85.0 — worse than roughly 85% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 85.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 92
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 89
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 80
Homeownership Rate 81
Rent-to-Income Ratio 83
Debt & Delinquency 64.5
Debt in Collections 50
Medical Debt 24
Student Loan Delinquency 72
Auto Loan Delinquency 75
Credit Card Delinquency 72
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 93
Employment & Wages 46.9
Unemployment Rate 45
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 84
Business Formation Rate 12
Income & Poverty 27.3
Poverty Rate 19
Income vs. State Median 52
Child Poverty Rate 12
Community Vulnerability 19.2
Uninsured Rate 24
Disability Rate 15

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Baltimore County
Baltimore County, MD 48.6 Normal —
Baltimore city, MD 71.5 Serious +22.9
Kent County, MD 50.4 Elevated +1.8
York County, PA 38.4 Normal -10.2
Harford County, MD 34.4 Healthy -14.2
Anne Arundel County, MD 31.2 Healthy -17.4
Carroll County, MD 30.0 Healthy -18.6
Howard County, MD 26.1 Healthy -22.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Baltimore County
Worcester County, MA 48.6 Normal -0.0
Ventura County, CA 48.6 Normal +0.0
St. Tammany Parish, LA 48.5 Normal -0.1
Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, CT 48.5 Normal -0.1
Davidson County, TN 48.8 Normal +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Baltimore County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Baltimore County.

DIVERSIFIED HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, INC.
Windsor Mill
410-496-1214 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingPre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education
OPERATION HOPE PIKESVILLE MD
Pikesville
470-223-0285 Website
Mortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingPre-Purchase

See all counselors in Maryland →

Find an Attorney

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

Maryland State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service 410-685-7878

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Baltimore County residents at no cost.

Maryland Legal Aid 410-539-5340
Community Law Center (Baltimore) 410-366-0922
Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS) 410-539-6800
Civil Justice (Baltimore) 410-706-0900

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 Maryland →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Baltimore County, Maryland?

    Baltimore County has a County Distress Index score of 48.6 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,700th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 10th in Maryland out of 24 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Baltimore County?

    The primary driver of distress in Baltimore County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 85.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Baltimore County compare to neighboring counties?

    Baltimore County (48.6) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Baltimore city, MD (71.5); Kent County, MD (50.4); York County, PA (38.4).

  • 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 Baltimore County?

    Baltimore County, Maryland has a population of approximately 844,703 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.