Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania

County Distress Index: Elevated · 58.3 | 216,123 people · 6th most distressed in Pennsylvania

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Lackawanna County, PA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 58.3 — 968th 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 6th of 67 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Lackawanna County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 77.5 — worse than roughly 78% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 77.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 73
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 76
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 70
Homeownership Rate 83
Rent-to-Income Ratio 86
Income & Poverty 65.9
Poverty Rate 68
Income vs. State Median 71
Child Poverty Rate 59
Employment & Wages 59.3
Unemployment Rate 55
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 71
Business Formation Rate 52
Debt & Delinquency 54.7
Debt in Collections 57
Medical Debt 63
Student Loan Delinquency 56
Auto Loan Delinquency 51
Credit Card Delinquency 57
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 45
Community Vulnerability 33.8
Uninsured Rate 14
Disability Rate 53

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Lackawanna County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Lackawanna County
Lackawanna County, PA 58.3 Elevated
Luzerne County, PA 60.9 Elevated +2.6
Monroe County, PA 53.3 Elevated -5.0
Wayne County, PA 45.6 Normal -12.6
Susquehanna County, PA 43.5 Normal -14.7
Wyoming County, PA 40.8 Normal -17.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Lackawanna County
Onslow County, NC 58.3 Elevated 0.0
Douglas County, GA 58.3 Elevated +0.0
Walker County, AL 58.2 Elevated -0.1
Calcasieu Parish, LA 58.2 Elevated -0.1
Chemung County, NY 58.4 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Lackawanna County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Lackawanna County.

NEIGHBORWORKS NORTHEASTERN PA/NHS OF LACKAWANNA COUNTY
Scranton
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFair HousingHome Improvement/Rehab
UNITED NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS OF NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA
Scranton
Homeless/DisplacementRental Help

Find an Attorney

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

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Lackawanna County residents at no cost.

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.