Seneca County, New York

County Distress Index: Elevated · 60.6 | 32,349 people · 3rd most distressed in New York
American Default Research

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Seneca County, NY registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 60.6 — 785th 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 3rd 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. Seneca County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 70.9 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 70.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 62
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 74
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 83
Homeownership Rate 62
Rent-to-Income Ratio 74
Income & Poverty 67.8
Poverty Rate 55
Income vs. State Median 84
Child Poverty Rate 65
Community Vulnerability 61.9
Uninsured Rate 55
Disability Rate 68
Employment & Wages 57.3
Unemployment Rate 55
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 22
Business Formation Rate 94
Debt & Delinquency 45.3
Debt in Collections 50
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 67
Auto Loan Delinquency 72
Credit Card Delinquency 57
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 20

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Seneca County
Seneca County, NY 60.6 Elevated —
Yates County, NY 50.5 Elevated -10.2
Tompkins County, NY 47.6 Normal -13.1
Schuyler County, NY 46.2 Normal -14.5
Cayuga County, NY 45.3 Normal -15.4
Wayne County, NY 44.7 Normal -15.9
Ontario County, NY 38.3 Normal -22.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Seneca County
Sabine County, TX 60.7 Elevated +0.0
Marion County, AL 60.7 Elevated +0.0
Adams County, WA 60.7 Elevated +0.0
Jackson Parish, LA 60.7 Elevated +0.1
Alamosa County, CO 60.6 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Seneca 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 Seneca 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 Seneca County, New York?

    Seneca County has a County Distress Index score of 60.6 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 785th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 3rd in New York out of 62 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Seneca County?

    The primary driver of distress in Seneca County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 70.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Seneca County compare to neighboring counties?

    Seneca County (60.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Yates County, NY (50.5); Tompkins County, NY (47.6); Schuyler County, NY (46.2).

  • 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 Seneca County?

    Seneca County, New York has a population of approximately 32,349 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.