Hampden County, Massachusetts
Above the national median for rent-to-income ratio — and 2.6× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Steele County, ND — 12%).
Main Findings
Hampden County, Massachusetts ranks 460th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: a rent-to-income ratio of 31% — above the national median of 21%.
- 460th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Most distressed fifth, 1st in Massachusetts.
- A rent-to-income ratio of 31% (U.S. median 21%). Rent-to-income ratio at the 97th percentile nationally.
- Unemployment at 5% — national median 4%, ranked at the 87th percentile.
- Credit card delinquency at 7% — national median 5%, ranked at the 76th percentile.
- Child poverty rate at 26% — national median 18%, ranked at the 83rd percentile.
Neighbors span three CDI distress fifths. The 18-point drop to Hampshire County marks where the Pioneer Valley distress corridor ends.
"Hampden County ranks in the most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The five-domain profile shows where local household pressure is most concentrated."
"The CDI places this county in the most distressed fifth nationally. The rank is the important geography signal: it compares the county with every other county-equivalent in the release."
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
Hampden County's uninsured rate indicator is at the 3rd percentile — while every other indicator in the safety_net_buffer domain sits at or above the 38th percentile. The gap stands out against SNAP rate. Worth a call to Urban Institute or a local credit counselor in Springfield.
The Indicators Behind Hampden County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Hampden County's value shown alongside MA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Hampden | MA median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 63 · Rank 1,114 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 5% | 4% | 5% | 52nd | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 7% | 5% | 5% | 76th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 26% | 19% | 23% | 61st | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 49 · Rank 1,573 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 25% | 15% | 23% | 56th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 113 | 72 | 126 | 43rd | US Courts F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 92 · Rank 106 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 31% | 30% | 21% | 97th | HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 25% | 25% | 18% | 88th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 87 · Rank 418 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 5% | 4% | 4% | 87th | BLS LAUS (Dec 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 60 · Rank 1,178 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 26% | 12% | 18% | 83rd | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 16% | 12% | 16% | 55th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 18% | 10% | 14% | 76th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers | 32% | 18% | 27% | 74th | BEA Regional Personal Income (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 3% | 3% | 8% | 3rd | Census ACS 5-yr (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), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Business Formation Statistics), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2023 to 2025 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Hampden County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 145-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Hampden County ranks 460th 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 70 out of 100 places Hampden in the most distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 459 counties rank more distressed. Within Massachusetts, Hampden ranks first of 14 counties.
The index, which draws on 16 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 Hampden. A rent-to-income ratio of 31% — above the national median of 21%.
"Hampden County ranks in the most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The five-domain profile shows where local household pressure is most concentrated," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Hampden County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Hampden County's distress score?
How does Hampden County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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