Oswego County, New York

County Distress Index: Elevated · 55.0 | 118,162 people · 9th most distressed in New York
American Default Research

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Oswego County, NY registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 55.0 — 1212th 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 9th 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. Oswego County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 77.6 — worse than roughly 78% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 77.6
Unemployment Rate 72
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 65
Business Formation Rate 96
Housing Cost Burden 69.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 75
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 83
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 61
Homeownership Rate 53
Rent-to-Income Ratio 76
Income & Poverty 55.1
Poverty Rate 61
Income vs. State Median 49
Child Poverty Rate 55
Debt & Delinquency 43.8
Debt in Collections 46
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 64
Auto Loan Delinquency 34
Credit Card Delinquency 53
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 59
Community Vulnerability 28.9
Uninsured Rate 11
Disability Rate 46

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Oswego County
Oswego County, NY 55.0 Elevated —
Jefferson County, NY 54.1 Elevated -0.9
Oneida County, NY 51.8 Elevated -3.2
Onondaga County, NY 45.7 Normal -9.3
Cayuga County, NY 45.3 Normal -9.7
Madison County, NY 41.7 Normal -13.3
Lewis County, NY 41.0 Normal -14.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Oswego County
Raleigh County, WV 55.0 Elevated +0.0
Blount County, AL 55.0 Elevated +0.1
Creek County, OK 55.1 Elevated +0.1
Jackson County, AL 55.1 Elevated +0.1
Greenwood County, SC 55.1 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Oswego County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Oswego County.

CITY OF FULTON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
Fulton
315-593-7166 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingPost-PurchasePre-Purchase

See all counselors in New York →

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 Oswego 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 Oswego County, New York?

    Oswego County has a County Distress Index score of 55.0 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,212th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 9th in New York out of 62 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Oswego County?

    The primary driver of distress in Oswego County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 77.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Oswego County compare to neighboring counties?

    Oswego County (55.0) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Jefferson County, NY (54.1); Oneida County, NY (51.8); Onondaga County, NY (45.7).

  • 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 Oswego County?

    Oswego County, New York has a population of approximately 118,162 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.