Lewis County, New York

County Distress Index: Normal · 41.0 | 26,548 people · 50th most distressed in New York
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Lewis County, NY falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 41.0 — 2291st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within New York, it ranks 50th of 62 counties. It scores lower than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Lewis County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 60.4 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 60.4
Unemployment Rate 78
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 22
Business Formation Rate 81
Income & Poverty 43.1
Poverty Rate 29
Income vs. State Median 64
Child Poverty Rate 37
Housing Cost Burden 40.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 44
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 63
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 53
Homeownership Rate 17
Rent-to-Income Ratio 24
Debt & Delinquency 32.2
Debt in Collections 21
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 56
Auto Loan Delinquency 52
Credit Card Delinquency 48
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 9
Community Vulnerability 28.7
Uninsured Rate 16
Disability Rate 41

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Lewis County
Lewis County, NY 41.0 Normal —
St. Lawrence County, NY 56.0 Elevated +15.1
Oswego County, NY 55.0 Elevated +14.0
Jefferson County, NY 54.1 Elevated +13.2
Oneida County, NY 51.8 Elevated +10.9
Herkimer County, NY 50.8 Elevated +9.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Lewis County
Boundary County, ID 41.0 Normal +0.0
Marshall County, IA 41.0 Normal +0.0
Gloucester County, VA 41.0 Normal +0.0
Skamania County, WA 40.9 Normal -0.0
Latah County, ID 40.9 Normal -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Lewis 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 Lewis 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 Lewis County, New York?

    Lewis County has a County Distress Index score of 41.0 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,291st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 50th in New York out of 62 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Lewis County?

    The primary driver of distress in Lewis County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 60.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Lewis County compare to neighboring counties?

    Lewis County (41.0) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: St. Lawrence County, NY (56.0); Oswego County, NY (55.0); Jefferson County, NY (54.1).

  • 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 Lewis County?

    Lewis County, New York has a population of approximately 26,548 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.