Wasco County, Oregon

County Distress Index: Elevated · 61.6 | 26,333 people · 10th most distressed in Oregon
American Default Research

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Wasco County, OR registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 61.6 — 712th 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 10th of 36 counties. Among its 8 neighboring counties, 7 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Wasco County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 80.6 — worse than roughly 81% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 80.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 50
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 81
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 96
Homeownership Rate 82
Rent-to-Income Ratio 94
Employment & Wages 65.6
Unemployment Rate 87
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 90
Business Formation Rate 20
Community Vulnerability 64.5
Uninsured Rate 61
Disability Rate 68
Income & Poverty 54.6
Poverty Rate 50
Income vs. State Median 61
Child Poverty Rate 52
Debt & Delinquency 42.5
Debt in Collections 27
Medical Debt 15
Student Loan Delinquency 74
Auto Loan Delinquency 26
Credit Card Delinquency 55
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 58

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Wasco County compares to its 8 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Wasco County
Wasco County, OR 61.6 Elevated —
Wheeler County, OR 62.5 Elevated +1.0
Jefferson County, OR 60.3 Elevated -1.2
Marion County, OR 58.2 Elevated -3.4
Sherman County, OR 51.7 Elevated -9.9
Klickitat County, WA 46.5 Normal -15.1
Hood River County, OR 41.8 Normal -19.7
Clackamas County, OR 38.3 Normal -23.3
Gilliam County, OR 35.8 Normal -25.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Wasco County
Arkansas County, AR 61.6 Elevated 0.0
Shelby County, TX 61.5 Elevated -0.0
Lunenburg County, VA 61.6 Elevated +0.0
Howell County, MO 61.5 Elevated -0.0
Union County, TN 61.6 Elevated +0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Wasco County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Wasco County.

COLUMBIA CASCADE HOUSING CORPORATIONS HOUSING RESOURCE CENTER
The Dalles
541-296-5462 Website
Foreclosure PreventionHome Improvement/RehabPre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education

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 Wasco 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 Wasco County, Oregon?

    Wasco County has a County Distress Index score of 61.6 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 712th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 10th in Oregon out of 36 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Wasco County?

    The primary driver of distress in Wasco County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 80.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Wasco County compare to neighboring counties?

    Wasco County (61.6) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Wheeler County, OR (62.5); Jefferson County, OR (60.3); 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 Wasco County?

    Wasco County, Oregon has a population of approximately 26,333 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.