Hamilton County, New York

County Distress Index: Normal · 40.9 | 5,082 people · 51st most distressed in New York
American Default Research

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Hamilton County, NY falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 40.9 — 2298th 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 51st of 62 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 6 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Hamilton County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 78.5 — worse than roughly 79% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 78.5
Unemployment Rate 95
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 91
Business Formation Rate 50
Housing Cost Burden 44.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 37
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 79
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 17
Homeownership Rate 9
Rent-to-Income Ratio 80
Income & Poverty 35.2
Poverty Rate 25
Income vs. State Median 51
Child Poverty Rate 29
Community Vulnerability 27.9
Uninsured Rate 6
Disability Rate 49
Debt & Delinquency 18.5
Debt in Collections 5
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 37
Auto Loan Delinquency 12
Credit Card Delinquency 5
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 46

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Hamilton County
Hamilton County, NY 40.9 Normal —
St. Lawrence County, NY 56.0 Elevated +15.1
Fulton County, NY 52.6 Elevated +11.8
Herkimer County, NY 50.8 Elevated +9.9
Franklin County, NY 49.0 Normal +8.1
Warren County, NY 48.4 Normal +7.5
Essex County, NY 45.4 Normal +4.5
Saratoga County, NY 29.7 Healthy -11.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Hamilton County
Morris County, KS 40.9 Normal +0.0
Clarke County, IA 40.9 Normal +0.0
Brown County, KS 41.0 Normal +0.1
Daviess County, MO 40.8 Normal -0.1
Treasure County, MT 40.8 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Hamilton 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 Hamilton 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 Hamilton County, New York?

    Hamilton County has a County Distress Index score of 40.9 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,298th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 51st in New York out of 62 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Hamilton County?

    The primary driver of distress in Hamilton County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 78.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Hamilton County compare to neighboring counties?

    Hamilton County (40.9) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: St. Lawrence County, NY (56.0); Fulton County, NY (52.6); Herkimer County, NY (50.8).

  • 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 Hamilton County?

    Hamilton County, New York has a population of approximately 5,082 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.