Sussex County, New Jersey

County Distress Index: Normal · 36.1 | 146,132 people · 17th most distressed in New Jersey
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Sussex County, NJ falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 36.1 — 2586th 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 17th of 21 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Sussex County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 70.5 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 70.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 92
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 85
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 98
Homeownership Rate 4
Rent-to-Income Ratio 74
Employment & Wages 64.5
Unemployment Rate 67
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 99
Business Formation Rate 28
Debt & Delinquency 29.3
Debt in Collections 18
Medical Debt 26
Student Loan Delinquency 16
Auto Loan Delinquency 21
Credit Card Delinquency 34
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 62
Income & Poverty 8.8
Poverty Rate 1
Income vs. State Median 24
Child Poverty Rate 2
Community Vulnerability 7.2
Uninsured Rate 4
Disability Rate 10

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Sussex County
Sussex County, NJ 36.1 Normal —
Passaic County, NJ 64.7 Elevated +28.7
Monroe County, PA 53.3 Elevated +17.2
Pike County, PA 52.2 Elevated +16.1
Orange County, NY 47.1 Normal +11.0
Warren County, NJ 40.8 Normal +4.7
Morris County, NJ 26.4 Healthy -9.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Sussex County
Bullitt County, KY 36.1 Normal +0.0
Tazewell County, IL 36.0 Normal -0.1
Chisago County, MN 36.2 Normal +0.1
Sauk County, WI 35.9 Normal -0.1
Lewis and Clark County, MT 35.9 Normal -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Sussex 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 Sussex 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 Sussex County, New Jersey?

    Sussex County has a County Distress Index score of 36.1 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,586th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 17th in New Jersey out of 21 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Sussex County?

    The primary driver of distress in Sussex County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 70.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Sussex County compare to neighboring counties?

    Sussex County (36.1) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Passaic County, NJ (64.7); Monroe County, PA (53.3); Pike County, PA (52.2).

  • 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 Sussex County?

    Sussex County, New Jersey has a population of approximately 146,132 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.