County Data

Massachusetts County Distress Index

Financial distress scores for all 14 counties in Massachusetts, scored 0–100 across five domains. Mean score: 46.7. 1county is in Serious Stress or Crisis.

Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17

Massachusetts Snapshot

14 Counties Scored
46.7 Mean Score
47.5 Median Score
68.5 Hampden County Most Distressed
33.3 Middlesex County Least Distressed
1 Serious 3 Elevated 9 Normal 1 Healthy
Zone Distribution

Massachusetts County Map

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Healthy Normal Elevated Serious Crisis

All 14 Massachusetts counties colored by distress zone. Hover for details; click released counties for full reports.

Most & Least Distressed

Most Distressed

#1 Hampden County
68.5 Serious Stress
Housing Cost Burden
#2 Bristol County
57.9 Elevated
Housing Cost Burden
#3 Franklin County
57.7 Elevated
Housing Cost Burden

Least Distressed

#14 Middlesex County
33.3 Healthy
Housing Cost Burden
#13 Dukes County
35.3 Normal
Employment & Wages
#12 Nantucket County
35.4 Normal
Employment & Wages

Score Distribution

How Massachusetts's 14 county scores are distributed across the 0–100 scale.

All Massachusetts Counties

14 counties ranked by distress score. Click column headers to sort.

State Rank Nat'l Rank County Score Zone Primary Driver
1 291 Hampden County 68.5 Serious Stress Housing Cost Burden
2 1,003 Bristol County 57.9 Elevated Housing Cost Burden
3 1,016 Franklin County 57.7 Elevated Housing Cost Burden
4 1,451 Berkshire County 52.1 Elevated Housing Cost Burden
5 1,667 Suffolk County 49.0 Normal Housing Cost Burden
6 1,693 Hampshire County 48.8 Normal Housing Cost Burden
7 1,701 Worcester County 48.6 Normal Housing Cost Burden
8 1,870 Essex County 46.4 Normal Housing Cost Burden
9 2,069 Barnstable County 44.1 Normal Housing Cost Burden
10 2,314 Plymouth County 40.6 Normal Housing Cost Burden
11 2,597 Norfolk County 35.8 Normal Housing Cost Burden
12 2,634 Nantucket County 35.4 Normal Employment & Wages
13 2,639 Dukes County 35.3 Normal Employment & Wages
14 2,741 Middlesex County 33.3 Healthy Housing Cost Burden

1 of 14 county reports for Massachusetts are currently available. All 14 counties are scored and visible on the map above. New county reports are published weekly.

How County Scores Work

Each county is scored 0–100 using percentile-rank averaging across five data domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. A score of 50 means the county falls at the national median. Higher scores indicate greater financial distress.

Crisis (80+) — Extreme distress across multiple domains
Serious Stress (65–80) — Significant distress, multiple domains elevated
Elevated (50–65) — Above-average distress in several areas
Normal (35–50) — Near the national median
Healthy (<35) — Below-average distress

Full methodology and data sources

Massachusetts Resources

Massachusetts State Profile

State ADI score: 45.6 (Normal). Debt, delinquency, and economic indicators for Massachusetts.

Find Help in Massachusetts

HUD-approved housing counselors, legal aid offices, credit counselors, and debtor education providers in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts Foreclosure Laws

Foreclosure process, timeline, homeowner protections, and legal resources in Massachusetts.

State Distress Rankings

All 51 U.S. jurisdictions ranked by financial distress. Compare Massachusetts to the rest of the country.

National County Profiles

All 3,144 U.S. counties ranked by financial distress score.
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If you're struggling with debt or facing foreclosure, free help is available. Find help near you · Browse the Glossary · The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provides HUD-approved housing counselors at no cost. You can also call 1-800-569-4287.