About one in six people in Seneca County, New York, has a disability
In Seneca County, 17.1% of people reported a disability. That is higher than in 59% of U.S. counties.
More distressed than 50% of U.S. counties.
What drives Seneca County's score
In Seneca County, housing costs weigh most: the score for housing costs is 58.4. About one in five renters (21.9%, 2020 to 2024) pays half their income or more in rent, a higher share than in 72% of U.S. counties. Late payments on loans come next, at 56.1.
The County Distress Index looks at five parts of household money trouble in Seneca County: jobs, late payments on loans, income and the safety net, collections and bankruptcy, and housing costs. Each part is scored from 0 to 100, and a higher score means worse off than other counties.
Seneca County does better than most counties on two measures: bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people (71.1, 2025) and people with a subprime credit score (37.5%, Q2 2026).
A longer bar means more trouble. See how the county score works.
- 58.4 of 100
Housing costs
Biggest factorRenters, 2020–24 Census survey; HUD's fair market rents, fiscal year 2027
- Renters paying half their income or more in rent21.9% · 2020 to 202472nd percentile
- Rent on a two-bedroom as a share of the median income20.2% · fiscal year 202744th percentile
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- 56.1 of 100
Late payments
Credit records, August 2025; credit scores, second quarter of 2026
- People with a credit card behind5.8% · August 202556th percentile
- People with a car or retail loan behind7.0% · August 202572nd percentile
- People with a subprime credit score37.5% · second quarter of 202639th percentile
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- 52.9 of 100
Income and safety net
Poverty and income, 2024; disability and insurance, 2020–24 Census survey
- People below the poverty line13.4% · 202451st percentile
- Children below the poverty line16.6% · 202447th percentile
- People with a disability17.1% · 2020 to 202460th percentile
- People without health insurance9.0% · 2020 to 202459th percentile
- Median household income (lower income, longer bar)$68,055 · 202446th percentile
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- 49.9 of 100
Jobs
Unemployment through Sep 2026; adults not working, 2020–24 Census survey
- Unemployment rate, average over the latest year4.0% · Oct 2025 to Sep 202648th percentile
- Adults 25 to 54 not working20.9% · 2020 to 202450th percentile
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- 34.6 of 100
Collections and bankruptcy
Credit records, August 2025; bankruptcy filings, 2025
- People with unpaid debt sent to a collector23.1% · August 202549th percentile
- Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people71.1 · 202519th percentile
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Sources: Urban Institute, Debt in America; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents and Census income; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. County Distress Index by American Default Research, from data through Sep 2026.
Where the money in Seneca County comes from
Benefit checks are Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid paid on people's behalf, veterans' benefits, and food and income support, so a high share usually means an older population, low pay, or both. In Seneca County, 21.6% of residents are 65 or older (Census Bureau, 2024), against 17.2% nationally that year.
Cents of every dollar of income, 2024
Seneca County
New York
United States
- Pay from work
- Investments and rent
- Benefit checks
Benefit checks' share of income in Seneca County rose most in two steps: 13.9% in 1989 to 17.7% in 1994; 20.9% in 2004 to 24.7% in 2009.
In Seneca County, benefit checks' share of income has tripled since 1969, reaching 28.1% in 2024, but pay from work still brings in twice as much as benefit checks
In Seneca County, New York, benefit checks' share of income tripled from 1969 to 2024, reaching 28.1%; pay from work is plotted alongside. Every fifth year and 2024 are shown.
- Benefit checks
- Pay from work
The share of households in Seneca County getting SNAP food aid had its largest rise, from 8.9% in 2012 to 10.7% in 2013.
The share of households in Seneca County getting SNAP food aid doubled from 2009 to 2024, reaching 12.0%
High on the chart: 12.3% in 2016. Households getting SNAP, every year; each bar is a five-year survey estimate ending that year, so neighboring bars share most of their data, Seneca County, New York.
How Seneca County has changed
Seneca County's population made its largest gain on the way to its 2004 high, from 33,231 in 1999 to 35,312 in 2004.
Seneca County's population fell 7% from 1969 to 2024, reaching its lowest on the chart
High on the chart: 35,312 in 2004. Residents, yearly estimate, every fifth year and 2024, Seneca County, New York.
The number of jobs located in Seneca County fell most sharply on the way to its 1995 low, from 10,403 in 1990 to 9,265 in 1995.
The number of jobs located in Seneca County was at its highest on the chart in 2015 and is down 11% since
High on the chart: 11,621 in 2015. Yearly average of jobs covered by unemployment insurance, every fifth year and 2025, Seneca County, New York.
| Measure | Then | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rateBLS LAUS | 1990 4.7% | 2025 3.8% |
| People below the poverty lineCensus SAIPE | 1989 7.1% | 2024 13.4% |
| Median household incomeCensus SAIPE | 1989 $27,810 | 2024 $68,055 |
The table uses 3.8% for 2025; the score uses 4.0% for the latest year (Oct 2025 to Sep 2026), both from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Figures are as each agency published them, not adjusted for prices.
Dated events in Seneca County's history
2010
The county's largest recorded population was the 2010 Census count of 35,251. The 2020 Census counted 33,814, 96% of the peak. Census Bureau
2018
A flash flood in August 2018 did $1.2 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
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Since 1972
12 federal disaster and emergency declarations have covered Seneca County, 3 of them for flooding. FEMA
Seneca County beside its neighbors
Seneca County scores higher than all six counties that border it. For the share of income from benefit checks, Seneca County ranks 2nd of the seven; Schuyler County is highest, at 30.7%.
| County | Score | Poverty | Benefit checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seneca County, NY | 50 | 13.4% | 28.1% |
| Schuyler County, NY | 45 | 15.3% | 30.7% |
| Cayuga County, NY | 36 | 13.5% | 25.3% |
| Wayne County, NY | 36 | 11.7% | 25.5% |
| Yates County, NY | 35 | 12.6% | 27.3% |
| Tompkins County, NY | 31 | 17.3% | 18.3% |
| Ontario County, NY | 15 | 9.0% | 21.5% |
Distress score: American Default Research, County Distress Index, data through Sep 2026; each county scored against all 3,144. Poverty rate: Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. Benefit checks: Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024. Neighbors share a border, from Census county maps.
Is Seneca County the poorest county in New York?
No, Seneca County's poverty rate was 13.4% in 2024, 25th highest of 62 in New York (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). By that measure the poorest county in the state is Bronx County, at 28.7%. On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, Seneca County ranks 23rd of 62 in the state.
If you're behind on your mortgage in Seneca County
Housing counselors approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development work at nonprofit agencies. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau describes free foreclosure-avoidance counseling, including help with mortgage-company conversations and available options Source CFPB.
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Legal Assistance of Western New York (LawNY)
Legal aid
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HUD-approved housing counselors
Our help directory lists 1,010 agencies approved for foreclosure counseling, by state.
The score, its 14 measures and their sources, in one file. Free to use with credit to American Default Research.
Download the CSV for Seneca County · Every U.S. county (CSV)
Sources and method
- American Default Research · County Distress Index Data through Sep 2026, built from Urban Institute, Debt in America; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; HUD Fair Market Rents and Census income; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. The County Distress Index is American Default Research's own calculation; the Urban Institute does not produce or endorse it. Our methodology
- Urban Institute · Debt in America Breno Braga, Signe-Mary McKernan, Samantha Atherton, and Kassandra Martinchek, "Debt in America," last updated November 20, 2025, https://datacatalog.urban.org/dataset/debt-america-2025. Licensed under ODC-By 1.0.
- Rent on a two-bedroom and household income The rent share compares HUD fair market rent for fiscal year 2027 with Census Bureau median household income for 2024. The page calls this the typical household's income.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts (CAINC4) · income shares Where the money in Seneca County comes from, 2024.
- History The agencies named in each row and the linked records above.