Garfield County, Washington

County Distress Index: Normal · 45.1 | 2,363 people · 26th most distressed in Washington
American Default Research

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Garfield County, WA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 45.1 — 1972nd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where income and poverty levels indicate moderate economic strain. Within Washington, it ranks 26th of 39 counties. Among its 4 neighboring counties, 3 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Garfield County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 60.2 — above the national median.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 60.2
Poverty Rate 55
Income vs. State Median 77
Child Poverty Rate 49
Community Vulnerability 52.5
Uninsured Rate 10
Disability Rate 95
Housing Cost Burden 47.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 54
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 70
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 42
Homeownership Rate 36
Rent-to-Income Ratio 38
Employment & Wages 41.6
Unemployment Rate 87
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 11
Business Formation Rate 27
Debt & Delinquency 23.4
Debt in Collections 42
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 18
Auto Loan Delinquency 21
Credit Card Delinquency 25
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 28

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Garfield County
Garfield County, WA 45.1 Normal —
Asotin County, WA 59.3 Elevated +14.1
Whitman County, WA 51.7 Elevated +6.6
Wallowa County, OR 48.0 Normal +2.9
Columbia County, WA 44.5 Normal -0.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Garfield County
Toole County, MT 45.1 Normal -0.0
Doddridge County, WV 45.1 Normal -0.0
Maries County, MO 45.2 Normal +0.0
Sullivan County, MO 45.2 Normal +0.1
Carlisle County, KY 45.0 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Garfield 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 Garfield 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 Garfield County, Washington?

    Garfield County has a County Distress Index score of 45.1 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,972nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 26th in Washington out of 39 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Garfield County?

    The primary driver of distress in Garfield County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 60.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Garfield County compare to neighboring counties?

    Garfield County (45.1) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Asotin County, WA (59.3); Whitman County, WA (51.7); Wallowa County, OR (48.0).

  • 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 Garfield County?

    Garfield County, Washington has a population of approximately 2,363 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.