Cortland County, New York

County Distress Index: Elevated · 53.2 | 45,752 people · 14th most distressed in New York
American Default Research

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Cortland County, NY registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 53.2 — 1360th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where unemployment is elevated, wages are low relative to housing costs, and business formation lags. Within New York, it ranks 14th of 62 counties. It scores higher than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Cortland County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 77.1 — worse than roughly 77% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 77.1
Unemployment Rate 78
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 57
Business Formation Rate 96
Housing Cost Burden 74.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 67
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 86
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 73
Homeownership Rate 81
Rent-to-Income Ratio 63
Income & Poverty 59.2
Poverty Rate 68
Income vs. State Median 67
Child Poverty Rate 43
Debt & Delinquency 36.4
Debt in Collections 44
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 29
Auto Loan Delinquency 41
Credit Card Delinquency 66
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 32
Community Vulnerability 19.3
Uninsured Rate 4
Disability Rate 35

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Cortland County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Cortland County
Cortland County, NY 53.2 Elevated —
Broome County, NY 52.3 Elevated -0.9
Chenango County, NY 49.0 Normal -4.1
Tompkins County, NY 47.6 Normal -5.6
Onondaga County, NY 45.7 Normal -7.5
Tioga County, NY 45.6 Normal -7.6
Cayuga County, NY 45.3 Normal -7.9
Madison County, NY 41.7 Normal -11.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Cortland County
Pecos County, TX 53.2 Elevated 0.0
Upshur County, WV 53.2 Elevated +0.0
Oglethorpe County, GA 53.1 Elevated -0.0
Jackson County, WV 53.1 Elevated -0.1
Knox County, IN 53.3 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Cortland 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 Cortland 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 →

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Cortland County has a County Distress Index score of 53.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,360th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 14th in New York out of 62 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Cortland County?

    The primary driver of distress in Cortland County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 77.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Cortland County compare to neighboring counties?

    Cortland County (53.2) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Broome County, NY (52.3); Chenango County, NY (49.0); Tompkins County, NY (47.6).

  • 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 Cortland County?

    Cortland County, New York has a population of approximately 45,752 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.