Chemung County, New York

County Distress Index: Elevated · 58.4 | 81,325 people · 5th most distressed in New York
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Chemung County, NY registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 58.4 — 959th 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 York, it ranks 5th of 62 counties. It scores higher than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Chemung County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 77.4 — worse than roughly 77% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 77.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 91
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 97
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 45
Homeownership Rate 71
Rent-to-Income Ratio 82
Income & Poverty 73.8
Poverty Rate 72
Income vs. State Median 78
Child Poverty Rate 71
Employment & Wages 61.2
Unemployment Rate 49
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 51
Business Formation Rate 83
Debt & Delinquency 48.8
Debt in Collections 55
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 66
Auto Loan Delinquency 63
Credit Card Delinquency 70
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 32
Community Vulnerability 30.6
Uninsured Rate 11
Disability Rate 50

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Chemung County
Chemung County, NY 58.4 Elevated —
Tioga County, PA 50.7 Elevated -7.6
Tompkins County, NY 47.6 Normal -10.8
Schuyler County, NY 46.2 Normal -12.2
Steuben County, NY 46.0 Normal -12.4
Tioga County, NY 45.6 Normal -12.8
Bradford County, PA 43.1 Normal -15.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Chemung County
Jasper County, MO 58.4 Elevated +0.0
Wilkes County, NC 58.4 Elevated +0.0
Montgomery County, AL 58.4 Elevated +0.0
Douglas County, GA 58.3 Elevated -0.1
Cherokee County, SC 58.4 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Chemung County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Chemung County.

CATHOLIC CHARITIES, ELMIRA, NY
Elmira
607-734-9784 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingPost-Purchase

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 Chemung 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.

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

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Chemung County has a County Distress Index score of 58.4 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 959th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 5th in New York out of 62 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Chemung County?

    The primary driver of distress in Chemung County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 77.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Chemung County compare to neighboring counties?

    Chemung County (58.4) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Tioga County, PA (50.7); Tompkins County, NY (47.6); Schuyler County, NY (46.2).

  • 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 Chemung County?

    Chemung County, New York has a population of approximately 81,325 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.