Madison County, New York

County Distress Index: Normal · 41.7 | 66,921 people · 49th most distressed in New York
American Default Research

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Madison County, NY falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 41.7 — 2228th 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 49th of 62 counties. It scores lower than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Madison County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 78.2 — worse than roughly 78% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 78.2
Unemployment Rate 61
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 78
Business Formation Rate 95
Housing Cost Burden 57.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 58
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 74
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 65
Homeownership Rate 27
Rent-to-Income Ratio 65
Debt & Delinquency 31.1
Debt in Collections 31
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 35
Auto Loan Delinquency 21
Credit Card Delinquency 37
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 56
Income & Poverty 28.7
Poverty Rate 29
Income vs. State Median 33
Child Poverty Rate 25
Community Vulnerability 13.1
Uninsured Rate 3
Disability Rate 23

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Madison County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Madison County
Madison County, NY 41.7 Normal —
Oswego County, NY 55.0 Elevated +13.3
Cortland County, NY 53.2 Elevated +11.5
Oneida County, NY 51.8 Elevated +10.1
Chenango County, NY 49.0 Normal +7.3
Otsego County, NY 45.8 Normal +4.0
Onondaga County, NY 45.7 Normal +4.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Madison County
Randall County, TX 41.7 Normal 0.0
Guadalupe County, TX 41.7 Normal -0.0
Leavenworth County, KS 41.8 Normal +0.1
Boone County, IL 41.6 Normal -0.1
Fairfield County, OH 41.9 Normal +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Madison 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 Madison 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 Madison County, New York?

    Madison County has a County Distress Index score of 41.7 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,228th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 49th in New York out of 62 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Madison County?

    The primary driver of distress in Madison County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 78.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Madison County compare to neighboring counties?

    Madison County (41.7) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Oswego County, NY (55.0); Cortland County, NY (53.2); Oneida County, NY (51.8).

  • 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 Madison County?

    Madison County, New York has a population of approximately 66,921 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.