Douglas County, Washington

County Distress Index: Elevated · 54.2 | 44,798 people · 10th most distressed in Washington
American Default Research

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Douglas County, WA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 54.2 — 1266th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where unemployment is elevated, wages are low relative to housing costs, and business formation lags. Within Washington, it ranks 10th of 39 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 4 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Douglas County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 77.1 — worse than roughly 77% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 77.1
Unemployment Rate 94
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 91
Business Formation Rate 46
Community Vulnerability 69.7
Uninsured Rate 79
Disability Rate 61
Housing Cost Burden 60.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 44
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 46
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 52
Homeownership Rate 76
Rent-to-Income Ratio 84
Income & Poverty 43.0
Poverty Rate 36
Income vs. State Median 56
Child Poverty Rate 37
Debt & Delinquency 21.0
Debt in Collections 11
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 15
Auto Loan Delinquency 31
Credit Card Delinquency 27
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 35

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Douglas County
Douglas County, WA 54.2 Elevated —
Okanogan County, WA 59.8 Elevated +5.6
Grant County, WA 55.5 Elevated +1.3
Kittitas County, WA 50.7 Elevated -3.5
Chelan County, WA 47.8 Normal -6.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Douglas County
Dale County, AL 54.2 Elevated -0.0
Clay County, AL 54.2 Elevated -0.0
Montgomery County, NC 54.3 Elevated +0.0
Kalkaska County, MI 54.2 Elevated -0.0
Pettis County, MO 54.2 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Douglas 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 Douglas 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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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Douglas County has a County Distress Index score of 54.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,266th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 10th in Washington out of 39 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Douglas County?

    The primary driver of distress in Douglas County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 77.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Douglas County compare to neighboring counties?

    Douglas County (54.2) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Okanogan County, WA (59.8); Grant County, WA (55.5); Kittitas County, WA (50.7).

  • 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 Douglas County?

    Douglas County, Washington has a population of approximately 44,798 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.