Morris County, New Jersey

County Distress Index: Healthy · 26.4 | 514,423 people · 21st most distressed in New Jersey
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Morris County, NJ ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 26.4 — 3002nd 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 21st of 21 counties. It scores lower than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Morris County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 65.2 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 65.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 69
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 71
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 97
Homeownership Rate 53
Rent-to-Income Ratio 36
Employment & Wages 42.0
Unemployment Rate 49
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 60
Business Formation Rate 17
Debt & Delinquency 14.1
Debt in Collections 3
Medical Debt 21
Student Loan Delinquency 9
Auto Loan Delinquency 10
Credit Card Delinquency 10
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 32
Community Vulnerability 8.2
Uninsured Rate 14
Disability Rate 2
Income & Poverty 2.8
Poverty Rate 0
Income vs. State Median 7
Child Poverty Rate 1

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Morris County
Morris County, NJ 26.4 Healthy —
Essex County, NJ 66.7 Serious +40.3
Passaic County, NJ 64.7 Elevated +38.3
Union County, NJ 52.5 Elevated +26.1
Warren County, NJ 40.8 Normal +14.4
Sussex County, NJ 36.1 Normal +9.6
Somerset County, NJ 31.4 Healthy +5.0
Hunterdon County, NJ 26.6 Healthy +0.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Morris County
Howard County, MD 26.1 Healthy -0.4
Montgomery County, PA 26.9 Healthy +0.4
Benton County, AR 27.0 Healthy +0.6
Washington County, MN 27.5 Healthy +1.0
San Mateo County, CA 27.5 Healthy +1.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Morris County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Morris County.

HOUSING PARTNERSHIP FOR MORRIS COUNTY
Dover
973-659-9222 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling

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 Morris 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 Morris County, New Jersey?

    Morris County has a County Distress Index score of 26.4 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 3,002nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 21st in New Jersey out of 21 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Morris County?

    The primary driver of distress in Morris County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 65.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Morris County compare to neighboring counties?

    Morris County (26.4) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Essex County, NJ (66.7); Passaic County, NJ (64.7); 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 Morris County?

    Morris County, New Jersey has a population of approximately 514,423 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.