Washoe County, Nevada

County Distress Index: Elevated · 51.2 | 498,022 people · 10th most distressed in Nevada
American Default Research

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Washoe County, NV registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 51.2 — 1493rd 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 Nevada, it ranks 10th of 17 counties. Among its 13 neighboring counties, 9 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Washoe County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 86.9 — worse than roughly 87% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 86.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 90
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 77
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 87
Homeownership Rate 93
Rent-to-Income Ratio 87
Debt & Delinquency 58.5
Debt in Collections 53
Medical Debt 74
Student Loan Delinquency 57
Auto Loan Delinquency 52
Credit Card Delinquency 47
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 68
Employment & Wages 49.5
Unemployment Rate 58
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 86
Business Formation Rate 4
Community Vulnerability 41.2
Uninsured Rate 63
Disability Rate 20
Income & Poverty 20.1
Poverty Rate 20
Income vs. State Median 25
Child Poverty Rate 16

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Washoe County compares to its 13 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Washoe County
Washoe County, NV 51.2 Elevated —
Modoc County, CA 65.0 Elevated +13.7
Lake County, OR 63.0 Elevated +11.8
Churchill County, NV 60.2 Elevated +9.0
Lassen County, CA 60.1 Elevated +8.9
Sierra County, CA 57.2 Elevated +5.9
Lyon County, NV 57.0 Elevated +5.8
Carson City, NV 56.5 Elevated +5.3
Harney County, OR 56.4 Elevated +5.2
Pershing County, NV 56.1 Elevated +4.9
Storey County, NV 50.5 Elevated -0.8
Nevada County, CA 44.8 Normal -6.5
Humboldt County, NV 41.5 Normal -9.8
Placer County, CA 35.5 Normal -15.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Washoe County
Buncombe County, NC 51.1 Elevated -0.1
Canyon County, ID 51.1 Elevated -0.1
Seminole County, FL 51.1 Elevated -0.2
Greene County, MO 51.0 Elevated -0.3
St. Joseph County, IN 51.5 Elevated +0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Washoe County

Find an Attorney

State Bar of Nevada Lawyer Referral and Information Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

State Bar of Nevada Lawyer Referral and Information Service 702-382-0504

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Washoe County residents at no cost.

Nevada Legal Services 702-386-0404 (Las Vegas); 775-284-3491 (Reno)
Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada 702-386-1070
Washoe Legal Services 775-329-2727
State Bar of Nevada Lawyer Referral Service 702-382-0504

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Washoe County, Nevada?

    Washoe County has a County Distress Index score of 51.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,493rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 10th in Nevada out of 17 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Washoe County?

    The primary driver of distress in Washoe County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 86.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Washoe County compare to neighboring counties?

    Washoe County (51.2) can be compared to its 13 neighboring counties: Modoc County, CA (65.0); Lake County, OR (63.0); Churchill County, NV (60.2).

  • 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 Washoe County?

    Washoe County, Nevada has a population of approximately 498,022 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.