Somerset County, Maryland
Above the national median for severe rent burden (50%+).
Main Findings
Somerset County, Maryland ranks 238th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 26% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent — above the national median of 18%. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).
- 238th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 76.7 · high county distress, 2nd in Maryland.
- 26% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent (U.S. median 18%). Severe rent burden (50%+) at the 90th percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023).
- Subprime credit share at 34% — national median 23%, ranked at the 86th percentile. Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025).
- Debt in collections at 34% — national median 23%, ranked at the 83rd percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Unemployment at 4% — national median 4%, ranked at the 67th percentile. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026).
Neighbors span two CDI score labels. The 23-point drop to Worcester County marks where the Maryland distress corridor ends.
Somerset County has a high county distress score. The score label gives the intensity; the rank gives the national position.
The CDI gives this county a high county distress label. The rank belongs beside the score because the two answer different questions: score intensity and national position. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023), Somerset County's uninsured rate indicator is at the 4th percentile. American Default Research's CDI places every other indicator in the Safety Net & Buffer domain at or above the 54th percentile. The gap stands out against poverty rate. Worth a call to the source agency or a local subject-matter contact in Princess Anne.
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 Somerset County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Somerset County's value shown alongside MD's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Somerset | MD median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 82 · Rank 462 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 8% | 5% | 5% | 81st | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 8% | 5% | 5% | 80th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 34% | 21% | 23% | 86th | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 81 · Rank 379 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 34% | 18% | 23% | 83rd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 221 | 146 | 126 | 80th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 89 · Rank 166 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 27% | 21% | 21% | 88th | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 26% | 22% | 18% | 90th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 67 · Rank 990 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 4% | 4% | 4% | 67th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 63 · Rank 1,057 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 27% | 13% | 18% | 84th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 16% | 12% | 16% | 54th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 23% | 10% | 14% | 92nd | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 3% | 5% | 8% | 4th | 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 Somerset County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 133-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. — Somerset County ranks 238th 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 76.7 out of 100 gives Somerset a high county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 237 counties rank more distressed. Within Maryland, Somerset ranks second 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 Somerset. 26% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent — above the national median of 18%.
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 Somerset County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Somerset County's distress score?
How does Somerset County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Somerset County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →