Passaic County, New Jersey

County Distress Index: Elevated · 64.7 | 513,395 people · 3rd most distressed in New Jersey

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Passaic County, NJ registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 64.7 — 516th 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 3rd 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. Passaic County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 97.8 — worse than roughly 98% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 97.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 96
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 98
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 99
Homeownership Rate 98
Rent-to-Income Ratio 99
Income & Poverty 66.5
Poverty Rate 53
Income vs. State Median 85
Child Poverty Rate 62
Employment & Wages 63.7
Unemployment Rate 85
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 98
Business Formation Rate 8
Debt & Delinquency 55.5
Debt in Collections 46
Medical Debt 39
Student Loan Delinquency 64
Auto Loan Delinquency 63
Credit Card Delinquency 62
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 58
Community Vulnerability 40.2
Uninsured Rate 78
Disability Rate 3

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Passaic County
Passaic County, NJ 64.7 Elevated
Essex County, NJ 66.7 Serious +2.0
Orange County, NY 47.1 Normal -17.7
Rockland County, NY 42.4 Normal -22.4
Bergen County, NJ 37.1 Normal -27.7
Sussex County, NJ 36.1 Normal -28.7
Morris County, NJ 26.4 Healthy -38.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Passaic County
Yakima County, WA 64.5 Elevated -0.2
Shelby County, TN 65.5 Serious +0.8
Chatham County, GA 65.5 Serious +0.8
Cumberland County, NC 65.7 Serious +1.0
Lubbock County, TX 63.7 Elevated -1.1

Download Data

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Find Help in Passaic County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Passaic County.

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PATERSON
Paterson
Financial CounselingPre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education
PATERSON TASK FORCE FOR COMMUNITY ACTION, INC
Paterson
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFair HousingPre-Purchase

Find an Attorney

New Jersey State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Passaic County residents at no cost.

Self-Help Resources

NJ Courts Foreclosure Self-Help Center Official NJ Courts self-help guidance on foreclosure proceedings

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