Erie County, New York

County Distress Index: Normal · 45.6 | 946,147 people · 39th most distressed in New York
American Default Research

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Erie County, NY falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 45.6 — 1927th 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 39th of 62 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 3 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Erie County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 75.7 — worse than roughly 76% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 75.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 85
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 91
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 53
Homeownership Rate 83
Rent-to-Income Ratio 66
Employment & Wages 54.7
Unemployment Rate 55
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 41
Business Formation Rate 67
Income & Poverty 49.4
Poverty Rate 55
Income vs. State Median 43
Child Poverty Rate 50
Debt & Delinquency 32.4
Debt in Collections 39
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 37
Auto Loan Delinquency 27
Credit Card Delinquency 48
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 38
Community Vulnerability 16.0
Uninsured Rate 2
Disability Rate 30

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Erie County
Erie County, NY 45.6 Normal —
Chautauqua County, NY 58.5 Elevated +12.8
Cattaraugus County, NY 58.0 Elevated +12.4
Niagara County, NY 52.5 Elevated +6.9
Genesee County, NY 40.4 Normal -5.3
Wyoming County, NY 30.6 Healthy -15.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Erie County
Fayette County, KY 45.6 Normal +0.0
Onondaga County, NY 45.7 Normal +0.1
Thurston County, WA 45.8 Normal +0.2
York County, SC 46.0 Normal +0.4
Rutherford County, TN 45.3 Normal -0.4

Download Data

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

Find Help in Erie County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Erie County.

BELMONT HOUSING RESOURCES FOR WNY, INCORPORATED
Buffalo
716-884-7791 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingHome Improvement/Rehab
BUFFALO URBAN LEAGUE, INC.
Buffalo
716-250-2400 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling
NSC (NACA COUNSELING SUBSIDIARY) - BUFFALO, NY
Buffalo
716-834-6222 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFair HousingPost-Purchase
OPERATION HOPE- BUFFALO NY BRANCH
Buffalo
716-342-5580 Website
Mortgage HelpFair HousingPre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education
Parachute Credit Counseling, Inc.
West Seneca
800-926-9685
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingPre-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 Erie 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 Erie County, New York?

    Erie County has a County Distress Index score of 45.6 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,927th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 39th in New York out of 62 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Erie County?

    The primary driver of distress in Erie County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 75.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Erie County compare to neighboring counties?

    Erie County (45.6) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Chautauqua County, NY (58.5); Cattaraugus County, NY (58.0); Niagara County, NY (52.5).

  • 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 Erie County?

    Erie County, New York has a population of approximately 946,147 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.