Columbia County, Washington

County Distress Index: Normal · 44.5 | 4,053 people · 29th most distressed in Washington
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Columbia County, WA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 44.5 — 2035th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where uninsured and disability rates are well above the national average. Within Washington, it ranks 29th of 39 counties. It scores lower than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Columbia County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 68.0 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 68.0
Uninsured Rate 56
Disability Rate 80
Income & Poverty 57.4
Poverty Rate 50
Income vs. State Median 68
Child Poverty Rate 54
Housing Cost Burden 35.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 18
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 33
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 66
Homeownership Rate 30
Rent-to-Income Ratio 29
Employment & Wages 32.9
Unemployment Rate 85
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 5
Business Formation Rate 9
Debt & Delinquency 29.1
Debt in Collections 20
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 18
Auto Loan Delinquency 21
Credit Card Delinquency 61
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 49

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Columbia County
Columbia County, WA 44.5 Normal —
Umatilla County, OR 60.5 Elevated +16.0
Walla Walla County, WA 54.8 Elevated +10.3
Whitman County, WA 51.7 Elevated +7.2
Franklin County, WA 49.8 Normal +5.3
Wallowa County, OR 48.0 Normal +3.5
Garfield County, WA 45.1 Normal +0.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Columbia County
Frontier County, NE 44.5 Normal +0.0
Crockett County, TX 44.6 Normal +0.1
Pendleton County, WV 44.6 Normal +0.1
Wahkiakum County, WA 44.4 Normal -0.1
Lincoln County, ID 44.3 Normal -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Columbia 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 Columbia 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Columbia County has a County Distress Index score of 44.5 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,035th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 29th in Washington out of 39 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Columbia County?

    The primary driver of distress in Columbia County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 68.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Columbia County compare to neighboring counties?

    Columbia County (44.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Umatilla County, OR (60.5); Walla Walla County, WA (54.8); Whitman County, WA (51.7).

  • 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 Columbia County?

    Columbia County, Washington has a population of approximately 4,053 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.