Chautauqua County, New York

County Distress Index: Elevated · 58.5 | 124,891 people · 4th most distressed in New York
American Default Research

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Chautauqua County, NY registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 58.5 — 938th 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 4th of 62 counties. It scores higher than all 4 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Chautauqua County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 78.4 — worse than roughly 78% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 78.4
Poverty Rate 71
Income vs. State Median 89
Child Poverty Rate 75
Housing Cost Burden 66.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 86
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 88
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 38
Homeownership Rate 74
Rent-to-Income Ratio 48
Employment & Wages 63.8
Unemployment Rate 76
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 22
Business Formation Rate 93
Community Vulnerability 44.7
Uninsured Rate 22
Disability Rate 67
Debt & Delinquency 38.9
Debt in Collections 47
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 61
Auto Loan Delinquency 19
Credit Card Delinquency 61
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 39

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Chautauqua County compares to its 4 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Chautauqua County
Chautauqua County, NY 58.5 Elevated —
Cattaraugus County, NY 58.0 Elevated -0.5
Erie County, PA 52.1 Elevated -6.4
Erie County, NY 45.6 Normal -12.8
Warren County, PA 40.4 Normal -18.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Chautauqua County
Cherokee County, SC 58.4 Elevated -0.0
Montgomery County, AL 58.4 Elevated -0.1
St. Martin Parish, LA 58.6 Elevated +0.1
Jasper County, MO 58.4 Elevated -0.1
Wilkes County, NC 58.4 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Chautauqua County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Chautauqua County.

CHAUTAUQUA HOME REHABILITATION AND IMPROVEMENT CORP. (CHRIC)
Mayville
716-753-4650
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFair HousingHome Improvement/Rehab
CHAUTAUQUA OPPORTUNITIES, INCORPORATED
Dunkirk
716-661-9430
Foreclosure PreventionHome Improvement/RehabPre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education
CHAUTAUQUA OPPORTUNITIES, INCORPORATED
JAMESTOWN
716-661-9430 Website
Foreclosure PreventionHome Improvement/RehabPre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education

See all counselors in New York →

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 Chautauqua 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.

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Chautauqua County has a County Distress Index score of 58.5 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 938th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 4th in New York out of 62 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Chautauqua County?

    The primary driver of distress in Chautauqua County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 78.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Chautauqua County compare to neighboring counties?

    Chautauqua County (58.5) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Cattaraugus County, NY (58.0); Erie County, PA (52.1); Erie County, NY (45.6).

  • 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 Chautauqua County?

    Chautauqua County, New York has a population of approximately 124,891 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.