Union County, Oregon

County Distress Index: Elevated · 58.1 | 25,944 people · 16th most distressed in Oregon
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Union County, OR registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 58.1 — 982nd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where unemployment is elevated, wages are low relative to housing costs, and business formation lags. Within Oregon, it ranks 16th of 36 counties. Among its 4 neighboring counties, 3 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Union County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 73.2 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 73.2
Unemployment Rate 88
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 71
Business Formation Rate 60
Housing Cost Burden 70.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 53
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 65
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 83
Homeownership Rate 85
Rent-to-Income Ratio 68
Income & Poverty 53.7
Poverty Rate 50
Income vs. State Median 68
Child Poverty Rate 42
Community Vulnerability 52.0
Uninsured Rate 39
Disability Rate 65
Debt & Delinquency 40.6
Debt in Collections 28
Medical Debt 45
Student Loan Delinquency 48
Auto Loan Delinquency 36
Credit Card Delinquency 35
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 52

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Union County
Union County, OR 58.1 Elevated —
Umatilla County, OR 60.5 Elevated +2.5
Grant County, OR 57.6 Elevated -0.5
Baker County, OR 55.2 Elevated -2.9
Wallowa County, OR 48.0 Normal -10.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Union County
Caswell County, NC 58.1 Elevated 0.0
Gogebic County, MI 58.1 Elevated -0.0
Henderson County, TN 58.1 Elevated -0.0
Choctaw County, AL 58.1 Elevated +0.0
Garvin County, OK 58.1 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Union County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Union County.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION OF NORTHEAST OREGON, INC.
La Grande
541-963-3186 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingFair Housing

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 Union 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 Union County, Oregon?

    Union County has a County Distress Index score of 58.1 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 982nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 16th in Oregon out of 36 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Union County?

    The primary driver of distress in Union County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 73.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Union County compare to neighboring counties?

    Union County (58.1) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Umatilla County, OR (60.5); Grant County, OR (57.6); Baker County, OR (55.2).

  • 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 Union County?

    Union County, Oregon has a population of approximately 25,944 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.