Cumberland County, New Jersey

County Distress Index: Serious · 74.9 | 152,326 people · 1st most distressed in New Jersey
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Cumberland County, NJ shows significant household financial distress with a score of 74.9 — 70th 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 1st of 21 counties. It scores higher than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Cumberland County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 94.4 — worse than roughly 94% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 94.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 97
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 99
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 96
Homeownership Rate 83
Rent-to-Income Ratio 97
Income & Poverty 80.2
Poverty Rate 73
Income vs. State Median 99
Child Poverty Rate 69
Employment & Wages 75.1
Unemployment Rate 97
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 91
Business Formation Rate 37
Debt & Delinquency 71.7
Debt in Collections 67
Medical Debt 22
Student Loan Delinquency 84
Auto Loan Delinquency 82
Credit Card Delinquency 86
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 89
Community Vulnerability 53.1
Uninsured Rate 66
Disability Rate 40

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Cumberland County
Cumberland County, NJ 74.9 Serious —
Atlantic County, NJ 63.5 Elevated -11.4
Kent County, DE 61.4 Elevated -13.5
Salem County, NJ 59.9 Elevated -15.0
Cape May County, NJ 51.2 Elevated -23.7
Gloucester County, NJ 45.0 Normal -29.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Cumberland County
Muskogee County, OK 74.4 Serious -0.4
Maverick County, TX 74.2 Serious -0.7
Bibb County, GA 76.1 Serious +1.2
McKinley County, NM 76.1 Serious +1.3
Putnam County, FL 73.5 Serious -1.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Cumberland 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 Cumberland 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 Cumberland County, New Jersey?

    Cumberland County has a County Distress Index score of 74.9 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 70th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 1st in New Jersey out of 21 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Cumberland County?

    The primary driver of distress in Cumberland County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 94.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Cumberland County compare to neighboring counties?

    Cumberland County (74.9) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Atlantic County, NJ (63.5); Kent County, DE (61.4); Salem County, NJ (59.9).

  • 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 Cumberland County?

    Cumberland County, New Jersey has a population of approximately 152,326 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.