Bergen County, New Jersey

County Distress Index: Normal · 37.1 | 957,736 people · 16th most distressed in New Jersey
American Default Research

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Bergen County, NJ falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 37.1 — 2533rd 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 16th of 21 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 6 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Bergen County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 85.7 — worse than roughly 86% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 85.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 86
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 88
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 97
Homeownership Rate 83
Rent-to-Income Ratio 74
Employment & Wages 47.5
Unemployment Rate 45
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 91
Business Formation Rate 6
Debt & Delinquency 27.9
Debt in Collections 11
Medical Debt 24
Student Loan Delinquency 22
Auto Loan Delinquency 28
Credit Card Delinquency 25
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 57
Community Vulnerability 16.4
Uninsured Rate 31
Disability Rate 2
Income & Poverty 7.7
Poverty Rate 3
Income vs. State Median 17
Child Poverty Rate 3

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Bergen County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Bergen County
Bergen County, NJ 37.1 Normal —
Bronx County, NY 77.7 Serious +40.6
Essex County, NJ 66.7 Serious +29.7
Passaic County, NJ 64.7 Elevated +27.7
Hudson County, NJ 60.2 Elevated +23.1
Rockland County, NY 42.4 Normal +5.3
New York County, NY 39.3 Normal +2.2
Westchester County, NY 37.0 Normal -0.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Bergen County
Westchester County, NY 37.0 Normal -0.1
Williamson County, TX 37.2 Normal +0.1
Albany County, NY 36.9 Normal -0.2
Madison County, AL 36.5 Normal -0.6
Kent County, MI 37.7 Normal +0.6

Download Data

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

Find Help in Bergen County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Bergen County.

COUNTY OF BERGEN, DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, DIVISION OF SENIOR SERVICES
Hackensack
201-336-7400 Website
Foreclosure Prevention
FAIR HOUSING COUNCIL OF NORTHERN NEW JERSEY
Hackensack
201-489-3552 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFair HousingPre-PurchaseRental Help
GREATER BERGEN COMMUNITY ACTION, INC.
Hackensack
201-968-0200 Website
Financial CounselingFinancial CounselingHomeless/DisplacementPost-Purchase

See all counselors in New Jersey →

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 Bergen 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

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

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in New Jersey →

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Bergen County has a County Distress Index score of 37.1 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,533rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 16th in New Jersey out of 21 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Bergen County?

    The primary driver of distress in Bergen County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 85.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Bergen County compare to neighboring counties?

    Bergen County (37.1) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Bronx County, NY (77.7); Essex County, NJ (66.7); Passaic County, NJ (64.7).

  • 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 Bergen County?

    Bergen County, New Jersey has a population of approximately 957,736 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.