Cheshire County, New Hampshire

County Distress Index: Normal · 45.4 | 77,703 people · 3rd most distressed in New Hampshire
American Default Research

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Cheshire County, NH falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 45.4 — 1943rd 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 3rd of 10 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 3 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Cheshire County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 76.2 — worse than roughly 76% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 76.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 67
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 55
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 99
Homeownership Rate 69
Rent-to-Income Ratio 90
Employment & Wages 58.2
Unemployment Rate 16
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 96
Business Formation Rate 63
Debt & Delinquency 33.7
Debt in Collections 27
Medical Debt 31
Student Loan Delinquency 48
Auto Loan Delinquency 43
Credit Card Delinquency 41
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 11
Community Vulnerability 33.0
Uninsured Rate 28
Disability Rate 38
Income & Poverty 26.1
Poverty Rate 13
Income vs. State Median 51
Child Poverty Rate 14

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Cheshire County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Cheshire County
Cheshire County, NH 45.4 Normal —
Franklin County, MA 57.7 Elevated +12.3
Sullivan County, NH 48.7 Normal +3.3
Worcester County, MA 48.6 Normal +3.2
Windham County, VT 40.3 Normal -5.1
Hillsborough County, NH 38.1 Normal -7.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Cheshire County
Midland County, TX 45.4 Normal -0.1
Livingston County, NY 45.4 Normal -0.1
Natrona County, WY 45.4 Normal -0.1
Franklin County, PA 45.3 Normal -0.1
Benton County, WA 45.3 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Cheshire County

Find an Attorney

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 Cheshire 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 Cheshire County, New Hampshire?

    Cheshire County has a County Distress Index score of 45.4 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,943rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 3rd in New Hampshire out of 10 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Cheshire County?

    The primary driver of distress in Cheshire County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 76.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Cheshire County compare to neighboring counties?

    Cheshire County (45.4) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Franklin County, MA (57.7); Sullivan County, NH (48.7); Worcester County, MA (48.6).

  • 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 Cheshire County?

    Cheshire County, New Hampshire has a population of approximately 77,703 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.