Atlantic County, New Jersey

County Distress Index: Elevated · 63.5 | 275,213 people · 4th most distressed in New Jersey
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Atlantic County, NJ registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 63.5 — 593rd 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 Jersey, it ranks 4th of 21 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Atlantic County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 92.3 — worse than roughly 92% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 92.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 94
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 97
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 98
Homeownership Rate 78
Rent-to-Income Ratio 95
Employment & Wages 71.5
Unemployment Rate 93
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 95
Business Formation Rate 26
Debt & Delinquency 58.4
Debt in Collections 51
Medical Debt 23
Student Loan Delinquency 65
Auto Loan Delinquency 64
Credit Card Delinquency 67
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 81
Income & Poverty 56.4
Poverty Rate 37
Income vs. State Median 93
Child Poverty Rate 39
Community Vulnerability 38.8
Uninsured Rate 45
Disability Rate 33

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Atlantic County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Atlantic County
Atlantic County, NJ 63.5 Elevated —
Cumberland County, NJ 74.9 Serious +11.4
Camden County, NJ 61.1 Elevated -2.4
Cape May County, NJ 51.2 Elevated -12.3
Ocean County, NJ 46.9 Normal -16.6
Gloucester County, NJ 45.0 Normal -18.5
Burlington County, NJ 38.9 Normal -24.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Atlantic County
Lubbock County, TX 63.7 Elevated +0.2
Jefferson Parish, LA 62.6 Elevated -0.9
Yakima County, WA 64.5 Elevated +1.1
Passaic County, NJ 64.7 Elevated +1.2
McLennan County, TX 62.1 Elevated -1.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Atlantic County

Find an Attorney

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

New Jersey State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-792-8315

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Atlantic County residents at no cost.

Legal Services of New Jersey 1-888-576-5529
Community Health Law Project
New Jersey State Bar Foundation — Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-792-8315
Central Jersey Legal Services, Inc. (732) 249-7600
Essex-Newark Legal Services Project, Inc. (973) 624-4500
Legal Services of Northwest Jersey, Inc. (908) 231-0840
Northeast New Jersey Legal Services Corporation (201) 792-6363
South Jersey Legal Services, Inc. (800) 496-4570

Self-Help Resources

NJ Courts Foreclosure Self-Help Center Official NJ Courts self-help guidance on foreclosure proceedings

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Atlantic County, New Jersey?

    Atlantic County has a County Distress Index score of 63.5 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 593rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 4th in New Jersey out of 21 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Atlantic County?

    The primary driver of distress in Atlantic County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 92.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Atlantic County compare to neighboring counties?

    Atlantic County (63.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Cumberland County, NJ (74.9); Camden County, NJ (61.1); Cape May County, NJ (51.2).

  • 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 Atlantic County?

    Atlantic County, New Jersey has a population of approximately 275,213 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.