Schenectady County, New York

County Distress Index: Elevated · 50.4 | 159,902 people · 24th most distressed in New York
American Default Research

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Schenectady County, NY registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 50.4 — 1561st 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 24th of 62 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 4 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Schenectady County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 89.2 — worse than roughly 89% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 89.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 91
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 96
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 83
Homeownership Rate 87
Rent-to-Income Ratio 90
Employment & Wages 62.2
Unemployment Rate 49
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 69
Business Formation Rate 68
Income & Poverty 46.1
Poverty Rate 54
Income vs. State Median 30
Child Poverty Rate 55
Debt & Delinquency 40.5
Debt in Collections 45
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 51
Auto Loan Delinquency 30
Credit Card Delinquency 48
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 62
Community Vulnerability 14.1
Uninsured Rate 4
Disability Rate 24

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Schenectady County compares to its 4 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Schenectady County
Schenectady County, NY 50.4 Elevated —
Montgomery County, NY 62.9 Elevated +12.5
Schoharie County, NY 50.5 Elevated +0.0
Albany County, NY 36.9 Normal -13.6
Saratoga County, NY 29.7 Healthy -20.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Schenectady County
Columbia County, OR 50.4 Elevated -0.0
Pickaway County, OH 50.5 Elevated +0.0
Cullman County, AL 50.4 Elevated -0.0
Hawaii County, HI 50.4 Elevated -0.0
Haywood County, NC 50.5 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Schenectady County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Schenectady County.

BETTER COMMUNITY NEIGHBORHOODS, INC. (formerly Better Neighborhoods, Inc.)
Schenectady
518-372-7616
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingPre-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 Schenectady 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 Schenectady County, New York?

    Schenectady County has a County Distress Index score of 50.4 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,561st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 24th in New York out of 62 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Schenectady County?

    The primary driver of distress in Schenectady County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 89.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Schenectady County compare to neighboring counties?

    Schenectady County (50.4) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Montgomery County, NY (62.9); Schoharie County, NY (50.5); Albany County, NY (36.9).

  • 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 Schenectady County?

    Schenectady County, New York has a population of approximately 159,902 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.