Bernalillo County, New Mexico

County Distress Index: Elevated · 52.8 | 671,586 people · 28th most distressed in New Mexico
American Default Research

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Bernalillo County, NM registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 52.8 — 1391st 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 Mexico, it ranks 28th of 33 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 3 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Bernalillo County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 83.9 — worse than roughly 84% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 83.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 89
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 90
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 72
Homeownership Rate 86
Rent-to-Income Ratio 83
Debt & Delinquency 51.5
Debt in Collections 57
Medical Debt 62
Student Loan Delinquency 47
Auto Loan Delinquency 64
Credit Card Delinquency 49
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 31
Community Vulnerability 51.3
Uninsured Rate 55
Disability Rate 48
Employment & Wages 41.1
Unemployment Rate 52
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 69
Business Formation Rate 1
Income & Poverty 36.2
Poverty Rate 49
Income vs. State Median 9
Child Poverty Rate 50

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Bernalillo County
Bernalillo County, NM 52.8 Elevated —
Cibola County, NM 75.5 Serious +22.7
Torrance County, NM 69.8 Serious +17.1
Valencia County, NM 64.9 Elevated +12.1
Santa Fe County, NM 48.5 Normal -4.3
Sandoval County, NM 44.2 Normal -8.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Bernalillo County
Gwinnett County, GA 52.8 Elevated +0.0
Jackson County, MO 52.9 Elevated +0.2
Forsyth County, NC 53.0 Elevated +0.2
Union County, NJ 52.5 Elevated -0.3
Lehigh County, PA 52.3 Elevated -0.5

Download Data

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

Find Help in Bernalillo County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Bernalillo County.

HOMEWISE, INC.
ALBUQUERQUE
505-243-6566
Financial CounselingPre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education
SOUTHWEST NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES, INC.
Los Ranchos
505-243-5511
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingHome Improvement/Rehab
UNITED SOUTH BROADWAY CORPORATION
Albuquerque
505-764-8867
Foreclosure Prevention

See all counselors in New Mexico →

Find an Attorney

State Bar of New Mexico Lawyer Referral Program offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

State Bar of New Mexico Lawyer Referral Program 505-797-6000

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Bernalillo County residents at no cost.

New Mexico Legal Aid 1-866-416-1922
Law Access New Mexico 1-800-340-9771
DNA-Peoples Legal Services, Inc. (928) 871-4151

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 Mexico →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Bernalillo County, New Mexico?

    Bernalillo County has a County Distress Index score of 52.8 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,391st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 28th in New Mexico out of 33 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Bernalillo County?

    The primary driver of distress in Bernalillo County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 83.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Bernalillo County compare to neighboring counties?

    Bernalillo County (52.8) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Cibola County, NM (75.5); Torrance County, NM (69.8); Valencia County, NM (64.9).

  • 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 Bernalillo County?

    Bernalillo County, New Mexico has a population of approximately 671,586 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.