Benton County, Washington

County Distress Index: Normal · 45.3 | 215,219 people · 25th most distressed in Washington
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Benton County, WA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 45.3 — 1955th 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 Washington, it ranks 25th of 39 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 6 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Benton County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 73.3 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 73.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 80
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 71
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 80
Homeownership Rate 76
Rent-to-Income Ratio 60
Employment & Wages 62.4
Unemployment Rate 87
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 59
Business Formation Rate 41
Community Vulnerability 40.3
Uninsured Rate 45
Disability Rate 36
Debt & Delinquency 25.4
Debt in Collections 23
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 20
Auto Loan Delinquency 23
Credit Card Delinquency 28
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 52
Income & Poverty 25.1
Poverty Rate 31
Income vs. State Median 21
Child Poverty Rate 24

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Benton County
Benton County, WA 45.3 Normal —
Yakima County, WA 64.5 Elevated +19.2
Umatilla County, OR 60.5 Elevated +15.3
Grant County, WA 55.5 Elevated +10.2
Walla Walla County, WA 54.8 Elevated +9.5
Franklin County, WA 49.8 Normal +4.5
Klickitat County, WA 46.5 Normal +1.2
Morrow County, OR 41.4 Normal -3.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Benton County
Franklin County, PA 45.3 Normal 0.0
Cayuga County, NY 45.3 Normal -0.0
Livingston County, NY 45.4 Normal +0.1
Natrona County, WY 45.4 Normal +0.1
Midland County, TX 45.4 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Benton County

Find an Attorney

Washington State Bar Association — Find Legal Help offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Washington State Bar Association — Find Legal Help 1-800-945-9722

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Benton County residents at no cost.

Northwest Justice Project (NJP) 1-888-201-1014
Columbia Legal Services 1-206-464-1122

Self-Help Resources

Washington Law Help — Foreclosure Free legal information and self-help resources for low-income Washington residents, including foreclosure guides, tenant rights in foreclosure, and links to legal aid.
Washington Courts Self-Help Resources Washington Courts website with forms, instructions, and resources for self-represented litigants including those involved in foreclosure-related proceedings.
DFI Foreclosure Assistance and Information Department of Financial Institutions page with foreclosure prevention resources, consumer alerts about foreclosure rescue scams, and links to assistance programs.

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 Washington →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Benton County, Washington?

    Benton County has a County Distress Index score of 45.3 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,955th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 25th in Washington out of 39 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Benton County?

    The primary driver of distress in Benton County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 73.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Benton County compare to neighboring counties?

    Benton County (45.3) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Yakima County, WA (64.5); Umatilla County, OR (60.5); Grant County, WA (55.5).

  • 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 Benton County?

    Benton County, Washington has a population of approximately 215,219 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.