Hudson County, New Jersey

County Distress Index: Elevated · 60.2 | 705,472 people · 6th most distressed in New Jersey
American Default Research

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Hudson County, NJ registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 60.2 — 817th 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 6th 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. Hudson County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 89.0 — worse than roughly 89% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 89.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 76
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 76
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 94
Homeownership Rate 100
Rent-to-Income Ratio 99
Income & Poverty 69.1
Poverty Rate 63
Income vs. State Median 71
Child Poverty Rate 73
Debt & Delinquency 53.4
Debt in Collections 34
Medical Debt 21
Student Loan Delinquency 57
Auto Loan Delinquency 82
Credit Card Delinquency 65
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 62
Employment & Wages 52.4
Unemployment Rate 61
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 91
Business Formation Rate 5
Community Vulnerability 37.1
Uninsured Rate 72
Disability Rate 2

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Hudson County
Hudson County, NJ 60.2 Elevated —
Essex County, NJ 66.7 Serious +6.5
Kings County, NY 56.8 Elevated -3.4
Union County, NJ 52.5 Elevated -7.7
Richmond County, NY 47.1 Normal -13.0
New York County, NY 39.3 Normal -20.9
Bergen County, NJ 37.1 Normal -23.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Hudson County
Monterey County, CA 60.4 Elevated +0.2
Montgomery County, OH 59.9 Elevated -0.3
St. Lucie County, FL 60.6 Elevated +0.4
Bell County, TX 59.6 Elevated -0.6
Leon County, FL 59.5 Elevated -0.7

Download Data

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

Find Help in Hudson County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Hudson County.

THE WATERFRONT PROJECT, INC.
JERSEY CITY
551-256-7578 Website
Foreclosure PreventionRental Help

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 Hudson 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Hudson County has a County Distress Index score of 60.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 817th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 6th in New Jersey out of 21 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Hudson County?

    The primary driver of distress in Hudson County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 89.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Hudson County compare to neighboring counties?

    Hudson County (60.2) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Essex County, NJ (66.7); Kings County, NY (56.8); 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 Hudson County?

    Hudson County, New Jersey has a population of approximately 705,472 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.