Franklin County, Washington

County Distress Index: Normal · 49.8 | 99,034 people · 16th most distressed in Washington
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Franklin County, WA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 49.8 — 1608th 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 16th of 39 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Franklin County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 75.8 — worse than roughly 76% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 75.8
Unemployment Rate 94
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 86
Business Formation Rate 47
Housing Cost Burden 63.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 75
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 43
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 69
Homeownership Rate 70
Rent-to-Income Ratio 62
Community Vulnerability 47.2
Uninsured Rate 82
Disability Rate 12
Income & Poverty 33.6
Poverty Rate 44
Income vs. State Median 22
Child Poverty Rate 36
Debt & Delinquency 28.8
Debt in Collections 27
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 25
Auto Loan Delinquency 25
Credit Card Delinquency 37
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 52

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Franklin County
Franklin County, WA 49.8 Normal —
Adams County, WA 60.7 Elevated +10.9
Grant County, WA 55.5 Elevated +5.7
Walla Walla County, WA 54.8 Elevated +5.0
Whitman County, WA 51.7 Elevated +1.9
Benton County, WA 45.3 Normal -4.5
Columbia County, WA 44.5 Normal -5.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Franklin County
Twin Falls County, ID 49.8 Normal +0.0
Clearfield County, PA 50.0 Normal +0.2
Yolo County, CA 49.6 Normal -0.2
Shiawassee County, MI 49.6 Normal -0.2
Pottawattamie County, IA 50.0 Elevated +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Franklin 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 Franklin 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 Franklin County, Washington?

    Franklin County has a County Distress Index score of 49.8 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,608th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 16th in Washington out of 39 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Franklin County?

    The primary driver of distress in Franklin County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 75.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Franklin County compare to neighboring counties?

    Franklin County (49.8) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Adams County, WA (60.7); Grant County, WA (55.5); Walla Walla County, WA (54.8).

  • 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 Franklin County?

    Franklin County, Washington has a population of approximately 99,034 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.