Sullivan County, New York

County Distress Index: Elevated · 52.4 | 79,920 people · 17th most distressed in New York
American Default Research

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Sullivan County, NY registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 52.4 — 1422nd 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 17th of 62 counties. It scores higher than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Sullivan County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 77.6 — worse than roughly 78% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 77.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 76
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 82
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 90
Homeownership Rate 73
Rent-to-Income Ratio 67
Income & Poverty 57.8
Poverty Rate 58
Income vs. State Median 52
Child Poverty Rate 63
Debt & Delinquency 45.6
Debt in Collections 52
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 55
Auto Loan Delinquency 51
Credit Card Delinquency 66
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 42
Employment & Wages 43.2
Unemployment Rate 45
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 65
Business Formation Rate 19
Community Vulnerability 37.8
Uninsured Rate 22
Disability Rate 53

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Sullivan County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Sullivan County
Sullivan County, NY 52.4 Elevated —
Pike County, PA 52.2 Elevated -0.2
Delaware County, NY 50.6 Elevated -1.8
Orange County, NY 47.1 Normal -5.3
Ulster County, NY 46.8 Normal -5.7
Wayne County, PA 45.6 Normal -6.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Sullivan County
Harnett County, NC 52.5 Elevated +0.1
Pittsylvania County, VA 52.3 Elevated -0.1
Niagara County, NY 52.5 Elevated +0.1
Broome County, NY 52.3 Elevated -0.1
Bartow County, GA 52.3 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Sullivan 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 Sullivan 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 Sullivan County, New York?

    Sullivan County has a County Distress Index score of 52.4 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,422nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 17th in New York out of 62 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Sullivan County?

    The primary driver of distress in Sullivan County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 77.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Sullivan County compare to neighboring counties?

    Sullivan County (52.4) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Pike County, PA (52.2); Delaware County, NY (50.6); Orange County, NY (47.1).

  • 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 Sullivan County?

    Sullivan County, New York has a population of approximately 79,920 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.