Marion County, Oregon

County Distress Index: Elevated · 58.2 | 346,741 people · 15th most distressed in Oregon
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Marion County, OR registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 58.2 — 975th 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 15th of 36 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 6 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Marion 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%+) 94
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 94
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 98
Homeownership Rate 90
Rent-to-Income Ratio 83
Employment & Wages 56.3
Unemployment Rate 80
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 79
Business Formation Rate 9
Community Vulnerability 51.7
Uninsured Rate 55
Disability Rate 48
Income & Poverty 47.5
Poverty Rate 55
Income vs. State Median 34
Child Poverty Rate 53
Debt & Delinquency 44.0
Debt in Collections 31
Medical Debt 18
Student Loan Delinquency 45
Auto Loan Delinquency 41
Credit Card Delinquency 42
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 86

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Marion County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Marion County
Marion County, OR 58.2 Elevated —
Wasco County, OR 61.6 Elevated +3.4
Linn County, OR 61.0 Elevated +2.8
Jefferson County, OR 60.3 Elevated +2.2
Polk County, OR 49.4 Normal -8.8
Yamhill County, OR 49.4 Normal -8.8
Clackamas County, OR 38.3 Normal -19.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Marion County
Milwaukee County, WI 58.2 Elevated 0.0
Prince George's County, MD 58.1 Elevated -0.1
Lake County, FL 58.1 Elevated -0.1
Mobile County, AL 58.0 Elevated -0.1
Lane County, OR 58.0 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Marion County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Marion County.

DevNW
Salem
503-779-2680 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 Marion 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 Marion County, Oregon?

    Marion County has a County Distress Index score of 58.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 975th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 15th in Oregon out of 36 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Marion County?

    The primary driver of distress in Marion 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 Marion County compare to neighboring counties?

    Marion County (58.2) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Wasco County, OR (61.6); Linn County, OR (61.0); Jefferson County, OR (60.3).

  • 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 Marion County?

    Marion County, Oregon has a population of approximately 346,741 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.