Columbia County, Oregon

County Distress Index: Elevated · 50.4 | 53,880 people · 24th most distressed in Oregon
American Default Research

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Columbia County, OR registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 50.4 — 1562nd 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 24th of 36 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Columbia County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 75.2 — worse than roughly 75% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 75.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 92
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 53
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 96
Homeownership Rate 43
Rent-to-Income Ratio 92
Employment & Wages 74.0
Unemployment Rate 91
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 98
Business Formation Rate 33
Debt & Delinquency 43.4
Debt in Collections 28
Medical Debt 18
Student Loan Delinquency 64
Auto Loan Delinquency 41
Credit Card Delinquency 41
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 68
Community Vulnerability 41.7
Uninsured Rate 26
Disability Rate 58
Income & Poverty 17.8
Poverty Rate 19
Income vs. State Median 18
Child Poverty Rate 17

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Columbia County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Columbia County
Columbia County, OR 50.4 Elevated —
Clatsop County, OR 59.3 Elevated +8.9
Cowlitz County, WA 54.5 Elevated +4.1
Tillamook County, OR 51.1 Elevated +0.7
Multnomah County, OR 48.3 Normal -2.1
Wahkiakum County, WA 44.4 Normal -6.0
Clark County, WA 41.3 Normal -9.1
Washington County, OR 36.1 Normal -14.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Columbia County
Schenectady County, NY 50.4 Elevated +0.0
Cullman County, AL 50.4 Elevated -0.0
Hawaii County, HI 50.4 Elevated -0.0
Pickaway County, OH 50.5 Elevated +0.0
Haywood County, NC 50.5 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Columbia County

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 Columbia 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 Columbia County, Oregon?

    Columbia County has a County Distress Index score of 50.4 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,562nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 24th in Oregon out of 36 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Columbia County?

    The primary driver of distress in Columbia County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 75.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Columbia County compare to neighboring counties?

    Columbia County (50.4) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Clatsop County, OR (59.3); Cowlitz County, WA (54.5); Tillamook County, OR (51.1).

  • 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 Columbia County?

    Columbia County, Oregon has a population of approximately 53,880 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.