Somerset County, Pennsylvania

County Distress Index: Normal · 43.6 | 72,197 people · 45th most distressed in Pennsylvania
American Default Research

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Somerset County, PA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 43.6 — 2112th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Pennsylvania, it ranks 45th of 67 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Somerset County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 61.6 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 61.6
Unemployment Rate 69
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 30
Business Formation Rate 86
Income & Poverty 47.1
Poverty Rate 38
Income vs. State Median 64
Child Poverty Rate 40
Community Vulnerability 41.9
Uninsured Rate 27
Disability Rate 57
Housing Cost Burden 34.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 42
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 37
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 41
Homeownership Rate 18
Rent-to-Income Ratio 35
Debt & Delinquency 33.1
Debt in Collections 26
Medical Debt 31
Student Loan Delinquency 46
Auto Loan Delinquency 12
Credit Card Delinquency 28
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 55

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Somerset County
Somerset County, PA 43.6 Normal —
Fayette County, PA 66.2 Serious +22.6
Allegany County, MD 62.6 Elevated +19.0
Cambria County, PA 52.2 Elevated +8.6
Bedford County, PA 46.7 Normal +3.1
Garrett County, MD 40.5 Normal -3.1
Westmoreland County, PA 39.3 Normal -4.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Somerset County
Napa County, CA 43.7 Normal +0.1
Licking County, OH 43.5 Normal -0.1
Rock County, WI 43.7 Normal +0.1
Rensselaer County, NY 43.8 Normal +0.1
Montgomery County, VA 43.8 Normal +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Somerset County

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 Somerset 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Somerset County has a County Distress Index score of 43.6 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,112th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 45th in Pennsylvania out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Somerset County?

    The primary driver of distress in Somerset County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 61.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Somerset County compare to neighboring counties?

    Somerset County (43.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Fayette County, PA (66.2); Allegany County, MD (62.6); Cambria County, PA (52.2).

  • 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 Somerset County?

    Somerset County, Pennsylvania has a population of approximately 72,197 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.