Massachusetts County Distress Index
Financial distress scores for all 14 counties in Massachusetts, scored 0–100 across five domains. Mean score: 44.6.
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-26
Massachusetts Snapshot
Massachusetts County Map
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All 14 Massachusetts counties colored by county distress score range. Hover for details; click released counties for full reports.
Most & Least Distressed
Most Distressed
Least Distressed
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 | Score Label | Primary Driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 619 | Hampden County | 67.8 | moderate-high county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 2 | 1,264 | Bristol County | 55.9 | moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 3 | 1,503 | Suffolk County | 51.7 | moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 4 | 1,719 | Essex County | 47.7 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 5 | 1,725 | Berkshire County | 47.7 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 6 | 1,791 | Worcester County | 46.6 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 7 | 1,829 | Franklin County | 45.8 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 8 | 1,958 | Plymouth County | 43.6 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 9 | 1,993 | Barnstable County | 43.0 | moderate-low county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 10 | 2,314 | Nantucket County | 36.6 | low-moderate county distress | Labor |
| 11 | 2,332 | Dukes County | 36.3 | low-moderate county distress | Labor |
| 12 | 2,355 | Hampshire County | 35.8 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 13 | 2,450 | Norfolk County | 33.9 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
| 14 | 2,540 | Middlesex County | 31.9 | low-moderate county distress | Debt Burden (housing basis) |
How County Scores Work
Each county is scored 0–100 using five equal-weighted domains. Each domain averages its member indicators' county ranks, and the composite is the mean of those domain scores. Higher scores indicate greater household financial distress.