Erie County, Pennsylvania

County Distress Index: Elevated · 52.1 | 267,571 people · 21st most distressed in Pennsylvania
American Default Research

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Erie County, PA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 52.1 — 1449th 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 Pennsylvania, it ranks 21st of 67 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 4 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Erie County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 76.3 — worse than roughly 76% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 76.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 83
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 88
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 60
Homeownership Rate 77
Rent-to-Income Ratio 74
Income & Poverty 60.5
Poverty Rate 58
Income vs. State Median 59
Child Poverty Rate 64
Employment & Wages 48.3
Unemployment Rate 64
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 67
Business Formation Rate 15
Debt & Delinquency 46.1
Debt in Collections 50
Medical Debt 41
Student Loan Delinquency 52
Auto Loan Delinquency 46
Credit Card Delinquency 51
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 37
Community Vulnerability 29.2
Uninsured Rate 9
Disability Rate 49

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Erie County
Erie County, PA 52.1 Elevated —
Ashtabula County, OH 68.6 Serious +16.5
Chautauqua County, NY 58.5 Elevated +6.4
Crawford County, PA 51.8 Elevated -0.3
Warren County, PA 40.4 Normal -11.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Erie County
Lehigh County, PA 52.3 Elevated +0.2
Union County, NJ 52.5 Elevated +0.4
Hamilton County, TN 51.7 Elevated -0.4
St. Joseph County, IN 51.5 Elevated -0.6
Bernalillo County, NM 52.8 Elevated +0.7

Download Data

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

Find Help in Erie County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Erie County.

GREATER ERIE COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY
Erie
814-459-4581-406 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingHomeless/Displacement
SAINT MARTIN CENTER, INC
Erie
814-452-6113 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingFair Housing

See all counselors in Pennsylvania →

Find an Attorney

Pennsylvania Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Pennsylvania Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-932-0311

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Erie County residents at no cost.

Community Legal Services of Philadelphia 215-981-3700
MidPenn Legal Services 1-800-326-9177
Neighborhood Legal Services Association 412-255-6700
Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (PLAN)
Laurel Legal Services, Inc. (800) 253-9558
Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania (877) 429-5994
North Penn Legal Services, Inc. (877) 953-4250
Northwestern Legal Services (814) 452-6957
Philadelphia Legal Assistance Center (215) 981-3800
Summit Legal Aid (800) 846-0871

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 Pennsylvania →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Erie County, Pennsylvania?

    Erie County has a County Distress Index score of 52.1 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,449th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 21st in Pennsylvania out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Erie County?

    The primary driver of distress in Erie County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 76.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Erie County compare to neighboring counties?

    Erie County (52.1) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Ashtabula County, OH (68.6); Chautauqua County, NY (58.5); Crawford County, PA (51.8).

  • 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 Erie County?

    Erie County, Pennsylvania has a population of approximately 267,571 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.