Frederick County, Maryland

County Distress Index: Healthy · 32.9 | 293,391 people · 19th most distressed in Maryland
American Default Research

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Frederick County, MD ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 32.9 — 2762nd 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 19th of 24 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Frederick County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 70.6 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 70.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 82
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 73
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 92
Homeownership Rate 35
Rent-to-Income Ratio 71
Employment & Wages 51.4
Unemployment Rate 27
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 95
Business Formation Rate 32
Debt & Delinquency 28.4
Debt in Collections 20
Medical Debt 33
Student Loan Delinquency 23
Auto Loan Delinquency 20
Credit Card Delinquency 32
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 43
Community Vulnerability 8.6
Uninsured Rate 13
Disability Rate 4
Income & Poverty 5.4
Poverty Rate 2
Income vs. State Median 10
Child Poverty Rate 3

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Frederick County
Frederick County, MD 32.9 Healthy —
Washington County, MD 53.5 Elevated +20.6
Franklin County, PA 45.3 Normal +12.4
Adams County, PA 38.7 Normal +5.8
Montgomery County, MD 34.8 Healthy +1.9
Carroll County, MD 30.0 Healthy -2.9
Howard County, MD 26.1 Healthy -6.8
Loudoun County, VA 22.8 Healthy -10.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Frederick County
St. Louis County, MO 33.0 Healthy +0.1
Utah County, UT 32.5 Healthy -0.4
Anoka County, MN 32.5 Healthy -0.4
Jefferson County, CO 33.3 Healthy +0.5
Ada County, ID 32.1 Healthy -0.8

Download Data

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

Find Help in Frederick County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Frederick County.

THE CITY OF FREDERICK
Frederick
301-600-1506 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingPre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education

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 Frederick 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 Frederick County, Maryland?

    Frederick County has a County Distress Index score of 32.9 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,762nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 19th in Maryland out of 24 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Frederick County?

    The primary driver of distress in Frederick County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 70.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Frederick County compare to neighboring counties?

    Frederick County (32.9) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Washington County, MD (53.5); Franklin County, PA (45.3); Adams County, PA (38.7).

  • 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 Frederick County?

    Frederick County, Maryland has a population of approximately 293,391 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.