Bennington County, Vermont

County Distress Index: Normal · 45.3 | 37,183 people · 3rd most distressed in Vermont
American Default Research

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Bennington County, VT falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 45.3 — 1957th 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 Vermont, it ranks 3rd of 14 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Bennington County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 78.2 — worse than roughly 78% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 78.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 100
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 99
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 80
Homeownership Rate 43
Rent-to-Income Ratio 68
Income & Poverty 46.4
Poverty Rate 37
Income vs. State Median 71
Child Poverty Rate 32
Employment & Wages 44.1
Unemployment Rate 19
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 61
Business Formation Rate 52
Community Vulnerability 36.3
Uninsured Rate 18
Disability Rate 55
Debt & Delinquency 21.4
Debt in Collections 27
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 25
Auto Loan Delinquency 20
Credit Card Delinquency 41
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 8

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Bennington County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Bennington County
Bennington County, VT 45.3 Normal —
Franklin County, MA 57.7 Elevated +12.4
Berkshire County, MA 52.1 Elevated +6.8
Washington County, NY 48.8 Normal +3.5
Rutland County, VT 44.9 Normal -0.4
Rensselaer County, NY 43.8 Normal -1.5
Windham County, VT 40.3 Normal -5.0
Windsor County, VT 32.7 Healthy -12.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Bennington County
Morgan County, CO 45.3 Normal +0.0
Greene County, GA 45.3 Normal +0.0
Manassas Park city, VA 45.3 Normal +0.0
Houghton County, MI 45.3 Normal +0.0
Beadle County, SD 45.2 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Bennington County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Bennington County.

BENNINGTON-RUTLAND OPPORTUNITY COUNCIL, INC.- VERMONT
Bennington
802-447-7515 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingHomeless/DisplacementPost-Purchase

See all counselors in Vermont →

Find an Attorney

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

Vermont Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service 802-223-2020

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Bennington County residents at no cost.

Vermont Legal Aid 1-800-889-2047
Legal Services Vermont (800) 889-2047

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 Vermont →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Bennington County, Vermont?

    Bennington County has a County Distress Index score of 45.3 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,957th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 3rd in Vermont out of 14 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Bennington County?

    The primary driver of distress in Bennington County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 78.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Bennington County compare to neighboring counties?

    Bennington County (45.3) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Franklin County, MA (57.7); Berkshire County, MA (52.1); Washington County, NY (48.8).

  • 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 Bennington County?

    Bennington County, Vermont has a population of approximately 37,183 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.