Multnomah County, Oregon

County Distress Index: Normal · 48.3 | 789,698 people · 27th most distressed in Oregon
American Default Research

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Multnomah County, OR falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 48.3 — 1725th 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 27th of 36 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Multnomah County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 93.3 — worse than roughly 93% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 93.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 93
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 88
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 98
Homeownership Rate 97
Rent-to-Income Ratio 90
Employment & Wages 54.8
Unemployment Rate 80
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 74
Business Formation Rate 10
Debt & Delinquency 36.2
Debt in Collections 26
Medical Debt 19
Student Loan Delinquency 25
Auto Loan Delinquency 46
Credit Card Delinquency 31
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 71
Community Vulnerability 29.1
Uninsured Rate 28
Disability Rate 30
Income & Poverty 28.0
Poverty Rate 44
Income vs. State Median 16
Child Poverty Rate 25

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Multnomah County
Multnomah County, OR 48.3 Normal —
Columbia County, OR 50.4 Elevated +2.1
Hood River County, OR 41.8 Normal -6.5
Clark County, WA 41.3 Normal -6.9
Skamania County, WA 40.9 Normal -7.4
Clackamas County, OR 38.3 Normal -10.0
Washington County, OR 36.1 Normal -12.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Multnomah County
Hamilton County, OH 48.3 Normal +0.0
Ingham County, MI 48.2 Normal -0.1
Cleveland County, OK 48.1 Normal -0.2
Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, CT 48.5 Normal +0.2
St. Tammany Parish, LA 48.5 Normal +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Multnomah County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Multnomah County.

AFRICAN AMERICAN ALLIANCE FOR HOMEOWNERSHIP, INC.
Portland
503-595-3517 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingPre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education
HACIENDA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Portland
503-961-6432 Website
Foreclosure PreventionPost-PurchasePre-Lease/Pre-PurchasePre-Purchase
NATIVE AMERICAN YOUTH AND FAMILY CENTER
Portland
503-288-8177 Website
Financial CounselingFinancial CounselingHome Improvement/RehabPre-Purchase
PORTLAND COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT INITIATIVES, INC
Portland
503-288-2923 Website
Financial CounselingFinancial CounselingHome Improvement/RehabPost-Purchase
PORTLAND HOUSING CENTER
Portland
503-282-7744 Website
Financial CounselingFinancial CounselingPost-PurchasePre-Purchase

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 Multnomah 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 Multnomah County, Oregon?

    Multnomah County has a County Distress Index score of 48.3 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,725th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 27th in Oregon out of 36 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Multnomah County?

    The primary driver of distress in Multnomah County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 93.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Multnomah County compare to neighboring counties?

    Multnomah County (48.3) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Columbia County, OR (50.4); Hood River County, OR (41.8); Clark County, WA (41.3).

  • 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 Multnomah County?

    Multnomah County, Oregon has a population of approximately 789,698 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.