Caroline County, Maryland

County Distress Index: Elevated · 59.2 | 33,593 people · 6th most distressed in Maryland

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Caroline County, MD registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 59.2 — 891st 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 6th of 24 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 3 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Caroline County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 79.2 — worse than roughly 79% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 79.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 95
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 67
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 93
Homeownership Rate 62
Rent-to-Income Ratio 79
Income & Poverty 62.1
Poverty Rate 48
Income vs. State Median 97
Child Poverty Rate 42
Debt & Delinquency 59.4
Debt in Collections 60
Medical Debt 23
Student Loan Delinquency 74
Auto Loan Delinquency 44
Credit Card Delinquency 87
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 68
Employment & Wages 52.6
Unemployment Rate 34
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 77
Business Formation Rate 47
Community Vulnerability 42.6
Uninsured Rate 41
Disability Rate 44

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Caroline County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Caroline County
Caroline County, MD 59.2 Elevated
Dorchester County, MD 62.7 Elevated +3.5
Kent County, DE 61.4 Elevated +2.2
Sussex County, DE 46.3 Normal -12.9
Talbot County, MD 44.0 Normal -15.2
Queen Anne's County, MD 31.7 Healthy -27.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Caroline County
Mayes County, OK 59.2 Elevated 0.0
Newton County, MS 59.2 Elevated +0.0
Boyd County, KY 59.1 Elevated -0.0
Monroe County, AL 59.1 Elevated -0.1
Randolph County, WV 59.1 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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Find Help in Caroline County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Caroline County.

MARYLAND RURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (MRDC)
GREENSBORO
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Maryland State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Free Legal Aid

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