Franklin County, Massachusetts

County Distress Index: Elevated · 57.7 | 70,836 people · 3rd most distressed in Massachusetts
American Default Research

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Franklin County, MA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 57.7 — 1016th 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 Massachusetts, it ranks 3rd of 14 counties. It scores higher than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Franklin County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 91.2 — worse than roughly 91% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 91.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 96
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 94
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 94
Homeownership Rate 75
Rent-to-Income Ratio 97
Employment & Wages 87.7
Unemployment Rate 72
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 97
Business Formation Rate 94
Income & Poverty 54.6
Poverty Rate 37
Income vs. State Median 94
Child Poverty Rate 33
Community Vulnerability 30.6
Uninsured Rate 1
Disability Rate 61
Debt & Delinquency 24.2
Debt in Collections 16
Medical Debt 25
Student Loan Delinquency 26
Auto Loan Delinquency 31
Credit Card Delinquency 21
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 25

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Franklin County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Franklin County
Franklin County, MA 57.7 Elevated —
Berkshire County, MA 52.1 Elevated -5.6
Hampshire County, MA 48.8 Normal -8.9
Worcester County, MA 48.6 Normal -9.1
Cheshire County, NH 45.4 Normal -12.3
Bennington County, VT 45.3 Normal -12.4
Windham County, VT 40.3 Normal -17.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Franklin County
Fremont County, CO 57.8 Elevated +0.1
Lynchburg city, VA 57.9 Elevated +0.2
Howard County, IN 57.5 Elevated -0.2
Caldwell County, NC 57.5 Elevated -0.2
Smith County, TX 57.5 Elevated -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Franklin County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Franklin County.

FRANKLIN COUNTY REGIONAL HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
Turners Falls
413-223-5201 Website
Foreclosure PreventionHome Improvement/RehabHomeless/DisplacementPost-Purchase

See all counselors in Massachusetts →

Find an Attorney

Massachusetts Bar Association — Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Massachusetts Bar Association — Lawyer Referral Service 617-654-0400 (Boston); 1-800-392-6164 (statewide)

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Franklin County residents at no cost.

Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) 617-603-1700
Massachusetts Legal Aid (MLA) — Statewide Hotline 617-603-1700 (GBLS); see MassLegalHelp.org for regional offices
South Coastal Counties Legal Services (SCCLS) 508-979-7150 (New Bedford); 508-775-7020 (Hyannis)
Harvard Legal Aid Bureau 617-495-4408
Community Legal Aid, Inc. (508) 752-3718
Northeast Legal Aid, Inc. (978) 458-1465
Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association (617) 603-1700

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 Massachusetts →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Franklin County, Massachusetts?

    Franklin County has a County Distress Index score of 57.7 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,016th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 3rd in Massachusetts out of 14 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Franklin County?

    The primary driver of distress in Franklin County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 91.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Franklin County compare to neighboring counties?

    Franklin County (57.7) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Berkshire County, MA (52.1); Hampshire County, MA (48.8); Worcester County, MA (48.6).

  • 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 Franklin County?

    Franklin County, Massachusetts has a population of approximately 70,836 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.