Orleans County, Vermont

County Distress Index: Elevated · 50.4 | 27,516 people · 1st most distressed in Vermont
American Default Research

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Orleans County, VT registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 50.4 — 1563rd 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 1st of 14 counties. It scores higher than all 4 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Orleans County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 70.2 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 70.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 71
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 94
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 94
Homeownership Rate 19
Rent-to-Income Ratio 72
Employment & Wages 65.8
Unemployment Rate 83
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 69
Business Formation Rate 45
Income & Poverty 64.0
Poverty Rate 55
Income vs. State Median 89
Child Poverty Rate 49
Community Vulnerability 34.3
Uninsured Rate 6
Disability Rate 62
Debt & Delinquency 17.6
Debt in Collections 22
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 42
Auto Loan Delinquency 20
Credit Card Delinquency 7
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 9

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Orleans County compares to its 4 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Orleans County
Orleans County, VT 50.4 Elevated —
Essex County, VT 49.0 Normal -1.4
Caledonia County, VT 43.5 Normal -6.9
Franklin County, VT 39.1 Normal -11.3
Lamoille County, VT 33.0 Healthy -17.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Orleans County
Macon County, MO 50.4 Elevated +0.0
Ashe County, NC 50.4 Elevated -0.0
Mason County, WV 50.4 Elevated +0.0
Phelps County, MO 50.4 Elevated -0.0
Kent County, MD 50.4 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

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

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Legal aid organizations serving Orleans County residents at no cost.

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Orleans County has a County Distress Index score of 50.4 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,563rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 1st in Vermont out of 14 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Orleans County?

    The primary driver of distress in Orleans County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 70.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Orleans County compare to neighboring counties?

    Orleans County (50.4) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Essex County, VT (49.0); Caledonia County, VT (43.5); Franklin County, VT (39.1).

  • 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 Orleans County?

    Orleans County, Vermont has a population of approximately 27,516 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.