Montgomery County, New York

County Distress Index: Elevated · 62.9 | 49,368 people · 2nd most distressed in New York
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Montgomery County, NY registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 62.9 — 627th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within New York, it ranks 2nd of 62 counties. It scores higher than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Montgomery County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 71.3 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 71.3
Poverty Rate 67
Income vs. State Median 75
Child Poverty Rate 73
Housing Cost Burden 70.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 82
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 88
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 54
Homeownership Rate 73
Rent-to-Income Ratio 54
Employment & Wages 67.5
Unemployment Rate 72
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 47
Business Formation Rate 84
Debt & Delinquency 60.8
Debt in Collections 59
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 76
Auto Loan Delinquency 70
Credit Card Delinquency 87
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 67
Community Vulnerability 44.5
Uninsured Rate 35
Disability Rate 54

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Montgomery County
Montgomery County, NY 62.9 Elevated —
Fulton County, NY 52.6 Elevated -10.2
Herkimer County, NY 50.8 Elevated -12.1
Schoharie County, NY 50.5 Elevated -12.4
Schenectady County, NY 50.4 Elevated -12.5
Otsego County, NY 45.8 Normal -17.1
Saratoga County, NY 29.7 Healthy -33.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Montgomery County
Lincoln County, MT 62.9 Elevated 0.0
Trinity County, CA 63.0 Elevated +0.1
Greene County, MS 62.8 Elevated -0.1
Adair County, KY 63.0 Elevated +0.1
Fentress County, TN 62.8 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Montgomery 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 Montgomery 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 Montgomery County, New York?

    Montgomery County has a County Distress Index score of 62.9 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 627th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 2nd in New York out of 62 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Montgomery County?

    The primary driver of distress in Montgomery County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 71.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Montgomery County compare to neighboring counties?

    Montgomery County (62.9) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Fulton County, NY (52.6); Herkimer County, NY (50.8); Schoharie County, NY (50.5).

  • 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 Montgomery County?

    Montgomery County, New York has a population of approximately 49,368 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.