Polk County, Oregon

County Distress Index: Normal · 49.4 | 89,805 people · 25th most distressed in Oregon
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Polk County, OR falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 49.4 — 1635th 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 25th of 36 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Polk County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 82.0 — worse than roughly 82% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 82.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 89
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 88
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 77
Homeownership Rate 85
Rent-to-Income Ratio 70
Employment & Wages 70.0
Unemployment Rate 78
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 93
Business Formation Rate 39
Community Vulnerability 36.9
Uninsured Rate 19
Disability Rate 55
Debt & Delinquency 34.1
Debt in Collections 22
Medical Debt 18
Student Loan Delinquency 35
Auto Loan Delinquency 20
Credit Card Delinquency 36
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 74
Income & Poverty 24.0
Poverty Rate 36
Income vs. State Median 21
Child Poverty Rate 16

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Polk County
Polk County, OR 49.4 Normal —
Lincoln County, OR 65.8 Serious +16.3
Linn County, OR 61.0 Elevated +11.5
Marion County, OR 58.2 Elevated +8.8
Tillamook County, OR 51.1 Elevated +1.7
Yamhill County, OR 49.4 Normal -0.0
Benton County, OR 47.1 Normal -2.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Polk County
Yamhill County, OR 49.4 Normal -0.0
Ionia County, MI 49.5 Normal +0.1
Macon County, IL 49.5 Normal +0.1
Kenai Peninsula Borough, AK 49.3 Normal -0.1
Watauga County, NC 49.3 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Polk 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 Polk 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 Polk County, Oregon?

    Polk County has a County Distress Index score of 49.4 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,635th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 25th in Oregon out of 36 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Polk County?

    The primary driver of distress in Polk County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 82.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Polk County compare to neighboring counties?

    Polk County (49.4) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Lincoln County, OR (65.8); Linn County, OR (61.0); Marion County, OR (58.2).

  • 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 Polk County?

    Polk County, Oregon has a population of approximately 89,805 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.