Norfolk County, Massachusetts

County Distress Index: Normal · 35.8 | 727,473 people · 11th most distressed in Massachusetts

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Norfolk County, MA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 35.8 — 2597th 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 11th of 14 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Norfolk County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 88.3 — worse than roughly 88% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 88.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 90
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 88
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 95
Homeownership Rate 76
Rent-to-Income Ratio 93
Employment & Wages 69.5
Unemployment Rate 67
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 97
Business Formation Rate 45
Debt & Delinquency 13.2
Debt in Collections 7
Medical Debt 20
Student Loan Delinquency 9
Auto Loan Delinquency 14
Credit Card Delinquency 15
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 14
Income & Poverty 5.8
Poverty Rate 6
Income vs. State Median 9
Child Poverty Rate 2
Community Vulnerability 2.3
Uninsured Rate 0
Disability Rate 4

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Norfolk County
Norfolk County, MA 35.8 Normal
Providence County, RI 58.4 Elevated +22.6
Bristol County, MA 57.9 Elevated +22.1
Suffolk County, MA 49.0 Normal +13.2
Worcester County, MA 48.6 Normal +12.8
Plymouth County, MA 40.6 Normal +4.8
Middlesex County, MA 33.3 Healthy -2.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Norfolk County
Polk County, IA 35.8 Normal -0.0
Monmouth County, NJ 35.9 Normal +0.1
Washington County, OR 36.1 Normal +0.3
Placer County, CA 35.5 Normal -0.3
Western Connecticut Planning Region, CT 35.4 Normal -0.4

Download Data

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

Find Help in Norfolk County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Norfolk County.

NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES OF THE SOUTH SHORE DBA NEIGHBORWORKS HOUSING SOLUTIONS
Quincy
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFair HousingHome Improvement/Rehab
QUINCY COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAMS, INC.
Quincy
Foreclosure PreventionFair HousingHomeless/DisplacementPre-Purchase

Find an Attorney

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

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Norfolk County residents at no cost.

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