Rensselaer County, New York

County Distress Index: Normal · 43.8 | 159,305 people · 46th most distressed in New York
American Default Research

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Rensselaer County, NY falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 43.8 — 2102nd 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 46th of 62 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Rensselaer County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 77.0 — worse than roughly 77% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 77.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 75
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 64
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 81
Homeownership Rate 86
Rent-to-Income Ratio 78
Employment & Wages 59.3
Unemployment Rate 41
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 58
Business Formation Rate 79
Income & Poverty 33.0
Poverty Rate 41
Income vs. State Median 16
Child Poverty Rate 42
Debt & Delinquency 30.1
Debt in Collections 38
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 22
Auto Loan Delinquency 26
Credit Card Delinquency 44
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 45
Community Vulnerability 19.4
Uninsured Rate 3
Disability Rate 35

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Rensselaer County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Rensselaer County
Rensselaer County, NY 43.8 Normal —
Berkshire County, MA 52.1 Elevated +8.3
Washington County, NY 48.8 Normal +5.0
Bennington County, VT 45.3 Normal +1.5
Greene County, NY 44.4 Normal +0.6
Columbia County, NY 42.5 Normal -1.2
Albany County, NY 36.9 Normal -6.9
Saratoga County, NY 29.7 Healthy -14.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Rensselaer County
Montgomery County, VA 43.8 Normal +0.0
Rock County, WI 43.7 Normal -0.0
Johnson County, MO 43.8 Normal +0.0
Napa County, CA 43.7 Normal -0.1
Newton County, MO 43.8 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Rensselaer County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Rensselaer County.

TROY REHABILITATION AND IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
Troy
518-690-0020 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling

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 Rensselaer 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 Rensselaer County, New York?

    Rensselaer County has a County Distress Index score of 43.8 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,102nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 46th in New York out of 62 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Rensselaer County?

    The primary driver of distress in Rensselaer County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 77.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Rensselaer County compare to neighboring counties?

    Rensselaer County (43.8) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Berkshire County, MA (52.1); Washington County, NY (48.8); Bennington County, VT (45.3).

  • 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 Rensselaer County?

    Rensselaer County, New York has a population of approximately 159,305 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.