Grays Harbor County, Washington

County Distress Index: Elevated · 59.4 | 77,290 people · 4th most distressed in Washington
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Grays Harbor County, WA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 59.4 — 876th 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 4th of 39 counties. It scores higher than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Grays Harbor County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 69.3 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 69.3
Unemployment Rate 96
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 56
Business Formation Rate 56
Community Vulnerability 64.8
Uninsured Rate 42
Disability Rate 88
Housing Cost Burden 64.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 69
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 51
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 83
Homeownership Rate 59
Rent-to-Income Ratio 60
Income & Poverty 62.7
Poverty Rate 62
Income vs. State Median 69
Child Poverty Rate 57
Debt & Delinquency 35.9
Debt in Collections 41
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 25
Auto Loan Delinquency 32
Credit Card Delinquency 44
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 67

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Grays Harbor County
Grays Harbor County, WA 59.4 Elevated —
Lewis County, WA 56.8 Elevated -2.7
Pacific County, WA 52.4 Elevated -7.0
Mason County, WA 49.5 Normal -9.9
Thurston County, WA 45.8 Normal -13.6
Jefferson County, WA 40.0 Normal -19.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Grays Harbor County
Madison County, IN 59.3 Elevated -0.1
Wicomico County, MD 59.3 Elevated -0.1
Saginaw County, MI 59.2 Elevated -0.2
Buchanan County, MO 59.6 Elevated +0.2
Tipton County, TN 59.7 Elevated +0.2

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Grays Harbor County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Grays Harbor 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 Grays Harbor 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 Grays Harbor County, Washington?

    Grays Harbor County has a County Distress Index score of 59.4 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 876th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 4th in Washington out of 39 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Grays Harbor County?

    The primary driver of distress in Grays Harbor County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 69.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Grays Harbor County compare to neighboring counties?

    Grays Harbor County (59.4) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Lewis County, WA (56.8); Pacific County, WA (52.4); Mason County, WA (49.5).

  • 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 Grays Harbor County?

    Grays Harbor County, Washington has a population of approximately 77,290 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.