Suffolk County, New York
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Suffolk County. Population: 1,523,170 (metro).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Suffolk County, NY falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 35.1 — 2648th 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 58th of 62 counties. It scores higher than all 2 of its neighboring counties.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Suffolk County compares to all U.S. counties across five dimensions of financial distress. Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.
Housing Cost Burden
Primary DriverEmployment & Wages
Debt & Delinquency
Community Vulnerability
Income & Poverty
How Suffolk County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suffolk County, NY | 35.1 | Normal | — |
| Washington County, RI | 35.1 | Normal | -0.0 |
| Nassau County, NY | 29.3 | Healthy | -5.8 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (metro) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allegheny County, PA | 35.2 | Normal | +0.0 |
| Montgomery County, MD | 34.8 | Healthy | -0.3 |
| Wake County, NC | 33.6 | Healthy | -1.5 |
| Middlesex County, MA | 33.3 | Healthy | -1.8 |
| Collin County, TX | 38.1 | Normal | +3.0 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Suffolk County as a CSV file.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for Suffolk County, New York?
Suffolk County has a County Distress Index score of 35.1 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,648th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 58th in New York out of 62 counties.
What drives financial distress in Suffolk County?
The primary driver of distress in Suffolk County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 78.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).
How does Suffolk County compare to neighboring counties?
Suffolk County (35.1) can be compared to its 2 neighboring counties: Washington County, RI (35.1); Nassau County, NY (29.3).
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 Suffolk County?
Suffolk County, New York has a population of approximately 1,523,170 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a metro county.