Orleans County, New York

County Distress Index: Elevated · 54.0 | 39,124 people · 11th most distressed in New York
American Default Research

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Orleans County, NY registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 54.0 — 1285th 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 11th of 62 counties. It scores higher than all 3 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Orleans County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 81.0 — worse than roughly 81% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 81.0
Unemployment Rate 67
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 85
Business Formation Rate 91
Housing Cost Burden 69.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 46
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 95
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 82
Homeownership Rate 33
Rent-to-Income Ratio 94
Income & Poverty 44.7
Poverty Rate 35
Income vs. State Median 63
Child Poverty Rate 36
Debt & Delinquency 37.6
Debt in Collections 49
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 42
Auto Loan Delinquency 40
Credit Card Delinquency 65
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 22
Community Vulnerability 36.9
Uninsured Rate 26
Disability Rate 48

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Orleans County compares to its 3 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Orleans County
Orleans County, NY 54.0 Elevated —
Niagara County, NY 52.5 Elevated -1.5
Monroe County, NY 47.9 Normal -6.1
Genesee County, NY 40.4 Normal -13.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Orleans County
Leon County, TX 54.0 Elevated 0.0
Avery County, NC 54.0 Elevated -0.0
Bandera County, TX 54.0 Elevated -0.1
Jay County, IN 54.1 Elevated +0.1
Lincoln County, KY 54.0 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Orleans 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 Orleans 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 Orleans County, New York?

    Orleans County has a County Distress Index score of 54.0 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,285th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 11th in New York out of 62 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Orleans County?

    The primary driver of distress in Orleans County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 81.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Orleans County compare to neighboring counties?

    Orleans County (54.0) can be compared to its 3 neighboring counties: Niagara County, NY (52.5); Monroe County, NY (47.9); Genesee County, NY (40.4).

  • 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 Orleans County?

    Orleans County, New York has a population of approximately 39,124 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.