Cowlitz County, Washington

County Distress Index: Elevated · 54.5 | 112,864 people · 9th most distressed in Washington
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Cowlitz County, WA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 54.5 — 1245th 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 9th of 39 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Cowlitz County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 81.5 — worse than roughly 82% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 81.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 85
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 73
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 92
Homeownership Rate 82
Rent-to-Income Ratio 75
Employment & Wages 64.7
Unemployment Rate 93
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 57
Business Formation Rate 44
Community Vulnerability 53.8
Uninsured Rate 30
Disability Rate 78
Income & Poverty 46.1
Poverty Rate 47
Income vs. State Median 47
Child Poverty Rate 44
Debt & Delinquency 26.7
Debt in Collections 35
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 34
Auto Loan Delinquency 12
Credit Card Delinquency 22
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 50

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Cowlitz County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Cowlitz County
Cowlitz County, WA 54.5 Elevated —
Lewis County, WA 56.8 Elevated +2.2
Columbia County, OR 50.4 Elevated -4.1
Wahkiakum County, WA 44.4 Normal -10.1
Clark County, WA 41.3 Normal -13.2
Skamania County, WA 40.9 Normal -13.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Cowlitz County
Lee County, NC 54.5 Elevated -0.0
Carbon County, PA 54.6 Elevated +0.0
Jackson County, OR 54.5 Elevated -0.1
Flagler County, FL 54.5 Elevated -0.1
Huron County, OH 54.5 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Cowlitz 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 Cowlitz 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.

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Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Washington →

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Cowlitz County has a County Distress Index score of 54.5 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,245th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 9th in Washington out of 39 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Cowlitz County?

    The primary driver of distress in Cowlitz County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 81.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Cowlitz County compare to neighboring counties?

    Cowlitz County (54.5) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Lewis County, WA (56.8); Columbia County, OR (50.4); Wahkiakum County, WA (44.4).

  • 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 Cowlitz County?

    Cowlitz County, Washington has a population of approximately 112,864 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.