Belknap County, New Hampshire

County Distress Index: Normal · 42.6 | 65,027 people · 5th most distressed in New Hampshire
American Default Research

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Belknap County, NH falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 42.6 — 2171st 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 New Hampshire, it ranks 5th of 10 counties. Among its 4 neighboring counties, 3 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Belknap County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 67.4 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 67.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 76
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 69
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 96
Homeownership Rate 25
Rent-to-Income Ratio 71
Employment & Wages 50.3
Unemployment Rate 23
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 95
Business Formation Rate 33
Community Vulnerability 41.2
Uninsured Rate 30
Disability Rate 52
Debt & Delinquency 36.6
Debt in Collections 27
Medical Debt 34
Student Loan Delinquency 50
Auto Loan Delinquency 31
Credit Card Delinquency 46
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 31
Income & Poverty 17.4
Poverty Rate 7
Income vs. State Median 32
Child Poverty Rate 13

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Belknap County
Belknap County, NH 42.6 Normal —
Strafford County, NH 45.1 Normal +2.5
Carroll County, NH 39.7 Normal -2.9
Grafton County, NH 39.2 Normal -3.4
Merrimack County, NH 36.6 Normal -6.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Belknap County
Miami County, OH 42.6 Normal 0.0
Charles County, MD 42.6 Normal +0.0
Columbia County, NY 42.5 Normal -0.1
Centre County, PA 42.7 Normal +0.1
Loudon County, TN 42.5 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Belknap County

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

New Hampshire Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service 603-229-0002

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Belknap County residents at no cost.

New Hampshire Legal Assistance 1-800-639-5290
603 Legal Aid 1-800-639-5290

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Belknap County, New Hampshire?

    Belknap County has a County Distress Index score of 42.6 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,171st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 5th in New Hampshire out of 10 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Belknap County?

    The primary driver of distress in Belknap County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 67.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Belknap County compare to neighboring counties?

    Belknap County (42.6) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Strafford County, NH (45.1); Carroll County, NH (39.7); Grafton County, NH (39.2).

  • 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 Belknap County?

    Belknap County, New Hampshire has a population of approximately 65,027 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.