Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
Above the national median for severe rent burden (50%+).
Main Findings
Lehigh County, Pennsylvania ranks 960th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 27% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent — above the national median of 18%. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).
- 960th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 61.5 · moderate-high county distress, 7th in Pennsylvania.
- 27% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent (U.S. median 18%). Severe rent burden (50%+) at the 93rd percentile nationally. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023).
- Unemployment at 4% — national median 4%, ranked at the 75th percentile. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026).
- Auto loan delinquency at 6% — national median 5%, ranked at the 67th percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Debt in collections at 24% — national median 23%, ranked at the 55th percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
Neighbors span four CDI score labels. The 34-point drop to Montgomery County marks where the Pennsylvania distress corridor ends.
Lehigh County has a moderate-high county distress score. The domain mix shows whether pressure is concentrated or spread across the profile.
The CDI gives this county a moderate-high county distress label. The domain table shows whether the score comes from debt, labor, safety-net pressure, or a mix. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Lehigh County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Lehigh County's value shown alongside PA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Lehigh | PA median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 63 · Rank 1,111 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 6% | 4% | 5% | 67th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 6% | 5% | 5% | 64th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 26% | 20% | 23% | 59th | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 49 · Rank 1,603 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 24% | 20% | 23% | 55th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 113 | 98 | 126 | 43rd | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 88 · Rank 200 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 26% | 21% | 21% | 83rd | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 27% | 18% | 18% | 93rd | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 75 · Rank 745 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 4% | 4% | 4% | 75th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 33 · Rank 2,275 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 18% | 17% | 18% | 49th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 13% | 16% | 16% | 25th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 12% | 13% | 14% | 38th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 6% | 6% | 8% | 32nd | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), FRED/Equifax (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2022 to 2026 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Lehigh County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 132-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Lehigh County ranks 960th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 61.5 out of 100 gives Lehigh a moderate-high county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 959 counties rank more distressed. Within Pennsylvania, Lehigh ranks seventh of 67 counties.
The index, which draws on 13 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies debt burden (housing basis) as the primary driver in Lehigh. 27% of renter households pay 50%+ of income on rent — above the national median of 18%.
American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Lehigh County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Lehigh County's distress score?
How does Lehigh County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Lehigh County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →