Herkimer County, New York

County Distress Index: Elevated · 50.8 | 59,484 people · 20th most distressed in New York
American Default Research

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Herkimer County, NY registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 50.8 — 1534th 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 20th of 62 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Herkimer County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 76.2 — worse than roughly 76% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 76.2
Unemployment Rate 69
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 68
Business Formation Rate 92
Income & Poverty 55.2
Poverty Rate 55
Income vs. State Median 67
Child Poverty Rate 43
Housing Cost Burden 48.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 48
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 60
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 31
Homeownership Rate 42
Rent-to-Income Ratio 59
Debt & Delinquency 43.5
Debt in Collections 48
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 35
Auto Loan Delinquency 37
Credit Card Delinquency 71
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 64
Community Vulnerability 30.9
Uninsured Rate 12
Disability Rate 49

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Herkimer County
Herkimer County, NY 50.8 Elevated —
Montgomery County, NY 62.9 Elevated +12.1
St. Lawrence County, NY 56.0 Elevated +5.3
Fulton County, NY 52.6 Elevated +1.9
Oneida County, NY 51.8 Elevated +1.1
Otsego County, NY 45.8 Normal -5.0
Lewis County, NY 41.0 Normal -9.8
Hamilton County, NY 40.9 Normal -9.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Herkimer County
Woodbury County, IA 50.8 Elevated +0.0
Shawnee County, KS 50.8 Elevated +0.1
Grady County, OK 50.8 Elevated +0.1
Lauderdale County, AL 50.6 Elevated -0.1
Kerr County, TX 50.6 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Herkimer 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 Herkimer 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.

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Herkimer County has a County Distress Index score of 50.8 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,534th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 20th in New York out of 62 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Herkimer County?

    The primary driver of distress in Herkimer County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 76.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Herkimer County compare to neighboring counties?

    Herkimer County (50.8) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Montgomery County, NY (62.9); St. Lawrence County, NY (56.0); Fulton County, NY (52.6).

  • 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 Herkimer County?

    Herkimer County, New York has a population of approximately 59,484 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.