Rockingham County, New Hampshire

County Distress Index: Healthy · 30.4 | 320,689 people · 10th most distressed in New Hampshire
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Rockingham County, NH ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 30.4 — 2873rd 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 10th of 10 counties. It scores lower than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Rockingham County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 70.2 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 70.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 80
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 68
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 100
Homeownership Rate 26
Rent-to-Income Ratio 78
Employment & Wages 50.9
Unemployment Rate 38
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 93
Business Formation Rate 21
Debt & Delinquency 15.4
Debt in Collections 10
Medical Debt 31
Student Loan Delinquency 13
Auto Loan Delinquency 8
Credit Card Delinquency 14
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 18
Community Vulnerability 11.4
Uninsured Rate 11
Disability Rate 11
Income & Poverty 4.2
Poverty Rate 1
Income vs. State Median 11
Child Poverty Rate 1

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Rockingham County
Rockingham County, NH 30.4 Healthy —
Essex County, MA 46.4 Normal +15.9
Strafford County, NH 45.1 Normal +14.7
Hillsborough County, NH 38.1 Normal +7.7
Merrimack County, NH 36.6 Normal +6.1
York County, ME 35.7 Normal +5.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Rockingham County
Dakota County, MN 30.5 Healthy +0.0
Cumberland County, ME 30.7 Healthy +0.2
Brown County, WI 30.1 Healthy -0.3
Bucks County, PA 29.8 Healthy -0.6
Anne Arundel County, MD 31.2 Healthy +0.8

Download Data

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

Find Help in Rockingham County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Rockingham County.

THE HOUSING PARTNERSHIP
Portsmouth
603-431-3620 Website
Financial CounselingPre-PurchaseHomebuyer EducationRental Help

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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 Rockingham 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 Rockingham County, New Hampshire?

    Rockingham County has a County Distress Index score of 30.4 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,873rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 10th in New Hampshire out of 10 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Rockingham County?

    The primary driver of distress in Rockingham County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 70.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Rockingham County compare to neighboring counties?

    Rockingham County (30.4) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Essex County, MA (46.4); Strafford County, NH (45.1); Hillsborough County, NH (38.1).

  • 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 Rockingham County?

    Rockingham County, New Hampshire has a population of approximately 320,689 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.