Nassau County, New York
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Nassau County. Population: 1,381,715 (metro).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Nassau County, NY ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 29.3 — 2910th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within New York, it ranks 62nd of 62 counties. It scores lower than all 4 of its neighboring counties.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Nassau County compares to all U.S. counties across five dimensions of financial distress. Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.
Housing Cost Burden
Primary DriverEmployment & Wages
Debt & Delinquency
Community Vulnerability
Income & Poverty
How Nassau County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nassau County, NY | 29.3 | Healthy | — |
| Bronx County, NY | 77.7 | Serious Stress | +48.4 |
| Queens County, NY | 53.3 | Elevated | +24.1 |
| Westchester County, NY | 37.0 | Normal | +7.7 |
| Suffolk County, NY | 35.1 | Normal | +5.8 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (metro) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland County, MI | 28.5 | Healthy | -0.8 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | 27.7 | Healthy | -1.5 |
| Hennepin County, MN | 31.6 | Healthy | +2.3 |
| King County, WA | 31.8 | Healthy | +2.5 |
| Fairfax County, VA | 26.6 | Healthy | -2.7 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Nassau County as a CSV file.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for Nassau County, New York?
Nassau County has a County Distress Index score of 29.3 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,910th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 62nd in New York out of 62 counties.
What drives financial distress in Nassau County?
The primary driver of distress in Nassau County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 73.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).
How does Nassau County compare to neighboring counties?
Nassau County (29.3) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Bronx County, NY (77.7); Queens County, NY (53.3); Westchester County, NY (37.0).
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 Nassau County?
Nassau County, New York has a population of approximately 1,381,715 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a metro county.