Northampton County, Pennsylvania

County Distress Index: Normal · 44.5 | 319,091 people · 43rd most distressed in Pennsylvania
American Default Research

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Northampton County, PA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 44.5 — 2037th 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 43rd of 67 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 3 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Northampton 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%+) 86
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 69
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 91
Homeownership Rate 66
Rent-to-Income Ratio 69
Employment & Wages 60.4
Unemployment Rate 49
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 87
Business Formation Rate 46
Debt & Delinquency 51.4
Debt in Collections 43
Medical Debt 54
Student Loan Delinquency 42
Auto Loan Delinquency 56
Credit Card Delinquency 64
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 49
Income & Poverty 20.3
Poverty Rate 19
Income vs. State Median 9
Child Poverty Rate 33
Community Vulnerability 14.0
Uninsured Rate 10
Disability Rate 18

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Northampton County
Northampton County, PA 44.5 Normal —
Carbon County, PA 54.6 Elevated +10.1
Monroe County, PA 53.3 Elevated +8.8
Lehigh County, PA 52.3 Elevated +7.8
Warren County, NJ 40.8 Normal -3.6
Bucks County, PA 29.8 Healthy -14.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Northampton County
Arapahoe County, CO 44.6 Normal +0.2
Delaware County, PA 44.6 Normal +0.2
Madison County, IL 44.2 Normal -0.3
Ramsey County, MN 44.8 Normal +0.3
Brazoria County, TX 44.9 Normal +0.4

Download Data

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

Find Help in Northampton County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Northampton County.

COMMUNITY ACTION COMMITTEE OF LEHIGH VALLEY, INC.
Bethlehem
610-691-5620 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling
GREATER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Easton
610-596-1134 Website
Financial CounselingPre-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 Northampton 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 Northampton County, Pennsylvania?

    Northampton County has a County Distress Index score of 44.5 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,037th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 43rd in Pennsylvania out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Northampton County?

    The primary driver of distress in Northampton 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 Northampton County compare to neighboring counties?

    Northampton County (44.5) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Carbon County, PA (54.6); Monroe County, PA (53.3); 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 Northampton County?

    Northampton County, Pennsylvania has a population of approximately 319,091 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.