Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

County Distress Index: Healthy · 26.9 | 868,742 people · 66th most distressed in Pennsylvania
American Default Research

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

Montgomery County, PA ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 26.9 — 2989th 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 66th of 67 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Montgomery County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 70.7 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 70.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 81
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 83
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 84
Homeownership Rate 63
Rent-to-Income Ratio 43
Employment & Wages 31.2
Unemployment Rate 23
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 47
Business Formation Rate 24
Debt & Delinquency 21.8
Debt in Collections 15
Medical Debt 28
Student Loan Delinquency 21
Auto Loan Delinquency 20
Credit Card Delinquency 19
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 28
Community Vulnerability 7.4
Uninsured Rate 8
Disability Rate 7
Income & Poverty 3.2
Poverty Rate 4
Income vs. State Median 2
Child Poverty Rate 4

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Montgomery County
Montgomery County, PA 26.9 Healthy —
Philadelphia County, PA 66.7 Serious +39.8
Berks County, PA 53.7 Elevated +26.9
Lehigh County, PA 52.3 Elevated +25.5
Delaware County, PA 44.6 Normal +17.8
Bucks County, PA 29.8 Healthy +2.9
Chester County, PA 23.8 Healthy -3.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Montgomery County
Benton County, AR 27.0 Healthy +0.2
Morris County, NJ 26.4 Healthy -0.4
Washington County, MN 27.5 Healthy +0.6
San Mateo County, CA 27.5 Healthy +0.7
Howard County, MD 26.1 Healthy -0.8

Download Data

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

Find Help in Montgomery County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Montgomery County.

CCCS OF DELAWARE VALLEY, INC. DBA CLARIFI
JENKINTOWN
800-989-2227 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingPre-PurchaseRental Help
GENESIS HOUSING CORPORATION
Norristown
610-275-4357
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingPost-Purchase

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 Montgomery 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 →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Montgomery County has a County Distress Index score of 26.9 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,989th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 66th in Pennsylvania out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Montgomery County?

    The primary driver of distress in Montgomery County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 70.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Montgomery County compare to neighboring counties?

    Montgomery County (26.9) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Philadelphia County, PA (66.7); Berks County, PA (53.7); Lehigh County, PA (52.3).

  • 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 Montgomery County?

    Montgomery County, Pennsylvania has a population of approximately 868,742 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.