Plymouth County, Massachusetts

County Distress Index: Normal · 40.6 | 535,308 people · 10th most distressed in Massachusetts
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Plymouth County, MA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 40.6 — 2314th 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 10th of 14 counties. Among its 4 neighboring counties, 3 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Plymouth County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 81.8 — worse than roughly 82% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 81.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 95
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 90
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 98
Homeownership Rate 32
Rent-to-Income Ratio 94
Employment & Wages 77.9
Unemployment Rate 78
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 99
Business Formation Rate 57
Debt & Delinquency 24.6
Debt in Collections 21
Medical Debt 23
Student Loan Delinquency 15
Auto Loan Delinquency 20
Credit Card Delinquency 37
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 31
Income & Poverty 11.3
Poverty Rate 7
Income vs. State Median 21
Child Poverty Rate 6
Community Vulnerability 7.6
Uninsured Rate 1
Disability Rate 14

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Plymouth County compares to its 4 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Plymouth County
Plymouth County, MA 40.6 Normal —
Bristol County, MA 57.9 Elevated +17.2
Suffolk County, MA 49.0 Normal +8.4
Barnstable County, MA 44.1 Normal +3.4
Norfolk County, MA 35.8 Normal -4.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Plymouth County
Baldwin County, AL 41.0 Normal +0.4
Weber County, UT 41.2 Normal +0.6
Clark County, WA 41.3 Normal +0.7
Douglas County, NE 41.4 Normal +0.7
Weld County, CO 41.6 Normal +1.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Plymouth County

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 Plymouth 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 →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Plymouth County has a County Distress Index score of 40.6 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,314th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 10th in Massachusetts out of 14 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Plymouth County?

    The primary driver of distress in Plymouth County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 81.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Plymouth County compare to neighboring counties?

    Plymouth County (40.6) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Bristol County, MA (57.9); Suffolk County, MA (49.0); Barnstable County, MA (44.1).

  • 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 Plymouth County?

    Plymouth County, Massachusetts has a population of approximately 535,308 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.