Essex County, New Jersey

County Distress Index: Serious · 66.7 | 851,117 people · 2nd most distressed in New Jersey
American Default Research

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Essex County, NJ shows significant household financial distress with a score of 66.7 — 394th 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 2nd 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. Essex County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 97.3 — worse than roughly 97% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 97.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 96
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 95
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 99
Homeownership Rate 99
Rent-to-Income Ratio 98
Debt & Delinquency 67.3
Debt in Collections 59
Medical Debt 32
Student Loan Delinquency 83
Auto Loan Delinquency 85
Credit Card Delinquency 81
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 63
Income & Poverty 65.4
Poverty Rate 56
Income vs. State Median 88
Child Poverty Rate 53
Employment & Wages 57.2
Unemployment Rate 87
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 79
Business Formation Rate 5
Community Vulnerability 46.5
Uninsured Rate 75
Disability Rate 18

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Essex County
Essex County, NJ 66.7 Serious —
Passaic County, NJ 64.7 Elevated -2.0
Hudson County, NJ 60.2 Elevated -6.5
Union County, NJ 52.5 Elevated -14.2
Bergen County, NJ 37.1 Normal -29.7
Morris County, NJ 26.4 Healthy -40.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Essex County
Jefferson County, TX 66.8 Serious +0.1
Orleans Parish, LA 66.6 Serious -0.1
Polk County, FL 66.5 Serious -0.3
Escambia County, FL 67.5 Serious +0.8
Volusia County, FL 65.8 Serious -0.9

Download Data

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

Find Help in Essex County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Essex County.

CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF NEWARK
Newark
973-596-4100 Website
Financial CounselingFair HousingHomeless/DisplacementRental Help
CONSUMER CREDIT AND BUDGET COUNSELING, DBA NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR DEBT MANAGEMENT
Montclair
888-738-8233 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling
CREDIT.ORG - NEW JERSEY BRANCH
Roseland
201-365-4197 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingPre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education
LA CASA DE DON PEDRO
Newark
973-624-4222 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingHome Improvement/RehabPre-Purchase
NEW JERSEY CITIZEN ACTION
Newark
973-643-8800 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingHome Improvement/RehabPre-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 Essex 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 Essex County, New Jersey?

    Essex County has a County Distress Index score of 66.7 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 394th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 2nd in New Jersey out of 21 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Essex County?

    The primary driver of distress in Essex County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 97.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Essex County compare to neighboring counties?

    Essex County (66.7) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Passaic County, NJ (64.7); Hudson County, NJ (60.2); Union County, NJ (52.5).

  • 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 Essex County?

    Essex County, New Jersey has a population of approximately 851,117 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.