Washington County, Oregon

County Distress Index: Normal · 36.1 | 598,865 people · 35th most distressed in Oregon
American Default Research

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Washington County, OR falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 36.1 — 2584th 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 35th of 36 counties. It scores lower than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Washington County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 81.6 — worse than roughly 82% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 81.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 86
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 76
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 93
Homeownership Rate 92
Rent-to-Income Ratio 61
Employment & Wages 49.9
Unemployment Rate 78
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 55
Business Formation Rate 16
Debt & Delinquency 26.9
Debt in Collections 10
Medical Debt 18
Student Loan Delinquency 15
Auto Loan Delinquency 30
Credit Card Delinquency 19
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 70
Community Vulnerability 16.0
Uninsured Rate 22
Disability Rate 10
Income & Poverty 6.1
Poverty Rate 8
Income vs. State Median 4
Child Poverty Rate 7

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Washington County
Washington County, OR 36.1 Normal —
Clatsop County, OR 59.3 Elevated +23.2
Tillamook County, OR 51.1 Elevated +15.0
Columbia County, OR 50.4 Elevated +14.3
Yamhill County, OR 49.4 Normal +13.3
Multnomah County, OR 48.3 Normal +12.2
Clackamas County, OR 38.3 Normal +2.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Washington County
Monmouth County, NJ 35.9 Normal -0.2
Larimer County, CO 36.4 Normal +0.3
Will County, IL 36.4 Normal +0.3
Norfolk County, MA 35.8 Normal -0.3
Polk County, IA 35.8 Normal -0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Washington County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Washington County.

BIENESTAR
Hillsboro
503-693-2937 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling
OPEN DOOR COUNSELING CENTER DBA Open Door Housingworks
Hillsboro
503-748-0407 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingHomeless/Displacement

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 Washington 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 Washington County, Oregon?

    Washington County has a County Distress Index score of 36.1 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,584th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 35th in Oregon out of 36 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Washington County?

    The primary driver of distress in Washington County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 81.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Washington County compare to neighboring counties?

    Washington County (36.1) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Clatsop County, OR (59.3); Tillamook County, OR (51.1); Columbia County, OR (50.4).

  • 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 Washington County?

    Washington County, Oregon has a population of approximately 598,865 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.