Cattaraugus County, New York

County Distress Index: Elevated · 58.0 | 75,600 people · 6th most distressed in New York
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Cattaraugus County, NY registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 58.0 — 990th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within New York, it ranks 6th of 62 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Cattaraugus County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 83.4 — worse than roughly 83% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 83.4
Poverty Rate 80
Income vs. State Median 89
Child Poverty Rate 81
Employment & Wages 63.3
Unemployment Rate 72
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 25
Business Formation Rate 94
Housing Cost Burden 54.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 71
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 64
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 32
Homeownership Rate 49
Rent-to-Income Ratio 55
Community Vulnerability 45.4
Uninsured Rate 32
Disability Rate 59
Debt & Delinquency 43.6
Debt in Collections 50
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 56
Auto Loan Delinquency 47
Credit Card Delinquency 79
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 23

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Cattaraugus County
Cattaraugus County, NY 58.0 Elevated —
Chautauqua County, NY 58.5 Elevated +0.5
McKean County, PA 51.2 Elevated -6.8
Allegany County, NY 50.1 Elevated -7.9
Erie County, NY 45.6 Normal -12.4
Warren County, PA 40.4 Normal -17.6
Wyoming County, NY 30.6 Healthy -27.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Cattaraugus County
Vermilion County, IL 58.1 Elevated +0.0
Rockingham County, NC 58.1 Elevated +0.1
Jones County, MS 57.9 Elevated -0.1
Calcasieu Parish, LA 58.2 Elevated +0.2
Walker County, AL 58.2 Elevated +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Cattaraugus County

Find an Attorney

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

New York State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-342-3661

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Cattaraugus County residents at no cost.

Legal Services NYC 1-917-661-4500
Legal Aid Society 1-212-577-3300
Empire Justice Center 1-585-454-4060
Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York 1-800-462-2922
Legal Aid Society of Mid-New York, Inc. (877) 777-6152
Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. (585) 325-2520
Legal Services of the Hudson Valley (877) 574-8529
Nassau/Suffolk Law Services Committee, Inc. (631) 232-2400
Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc. (716) 847-0650

Self-Help Resources

NYCourts.gov Foreclosure Help Official court system page with information about the foreclosure process, settlement conferences, and available resources. Includes court forms and instructions for pro se litigants.
LawHelp NY — Foreclosure Resources Comprehensive self-help legal information portal for New York residents. Includes foreclosure guides, court form generators, and legal services finder organized by county.

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Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in New York →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Cattaraugus County, New York?

    Cattaraugus County has a County Distress Index score of 58.0 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 990th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 6th in New York out of 62 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Cattaraugus County?

    The primary driver of distress in Cattaraugus County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 83.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Cattaraugus County compare to neighboring counties?

    Cattaraugus County (58.0) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Chautauqua County, NY (58.5); McKean County, PA (51.2); Allegany County, NY (50.1).

  • 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 Cattaraugus County?

    Cattaraugus County, New York has a population of approximately 75,600 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.