Benton County, Oregon

County Distress Index: Normal · 47.1 | 97,713 people · 30th most distressed in Oregon
American Default Research

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Benton County, OR falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 47.1 — 1822nd 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 Oregon, it ranks 30th of 36 counties. It scores lower than all 4 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Benton County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 91.6 — worse than roughly 92% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 91.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 99
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 100
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 78
Homeownership Rate 96
Rent-to-Income Ratio 85
Employment & Wages 74.1
Unemployment Rate 69
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 76
Business Formation Rate 77
Income & Poverty 38.5
Poverty Rate 69
Income vs. State Median 30
Child Poverty Rate 17
Community Vulnerability 19.8
Uninsured Rate 20
Disability Rate 20
Debt & Delinquency 11.4
Debt in Collections 3
Medical Debt 21
Student Loan Delinquency 4
Auto Loan Delinquency 17
Credit Card Delinquency 8
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 16

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Benton County
Benton County, OR 47.1 Normal —
Lincoln County, OR 65.8 Serious +18.7
Linn County, OR 61.0 Elevated +13.9
Lane County, OR 58.0 Elevated +11.0
Polk County, OR 49.4 Normal +2.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Benton County
Lebanon County, PA 47.1 Normal -0.0
Lafayette County, MS 47.1 Normal +0.0
Nassau County, FL 47.1 Normal +0.1
San Benito County, CA 47.0 Normal -0.1
Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT 47.0 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Benton County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Benton County.

DevNW
Corvallis
541-752-7220 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingHome Improvement/Rehab

See all counselors in Oregon →

Find an Attorney

Oregon State Bar — Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Oregon State Bar — Lawyer Referral Service 503-684-3763 (Portland); 1-800-452-7636 (statewide)

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Benton County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid Services of Oregon 503-684-1032 (Portland); 1-800-684-1032 (statewide hotline)
Oregon Law Center 541-672-3429 (Roseburg); 541-485-1017 (Eugene)
Willamette Law Online — Oregon Foreclosure Avoidance Project 503-370-6051

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 Oregon →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Benton County, Oregon?

    Benton County has a County Distress Index score of 47.1 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,822nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 30th in Oregon out of 36 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Benton County?

    The primary driver of distress in Benton County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 91.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Benton County compare to neighboring counties?

    Benton County (47.1) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Lincoln County, OR (65.8); Linn County, OR (61.0); Lane County, OR (58.0).

  • 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 Benton County?

    Benton County, Oregon has a population of approximately 97,713 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.