Island County, Washington

County Distress Index: Normal · 39.9 | 86,267 people · 36th most distressed in Washington
American Default Research

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Island County, WA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 39.9 — 2355th 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 36th of 39 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Island County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 75.0 — worse than roughly 75% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 75.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 94
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 71
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 96
Homeownership Rate 49
Rent-to-Income Ratio 65
Employment & Wages 70.4
Unemployment Rate 86
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 90
Business Formation Rate 35
Community Vulnerability 30.2
Uninsured Rate 9
Disability Rate 51
Income & Poverty 12.2
Poverty Rate 10
Income vs. State Median 14
Child Poverty Rate 12
Debt & Delinquency 11.8
Debt in Collections 5
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 8
Auto Loan Delinquency 10
Credit Card Delinquency 8
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 34

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Island County
Island County, WA 39.9 Normal —
Skagit County, WA 44.6 Normal +4.7
Kitsap County, WA 41.9 Normal +2.0
Snohomish County, WA 41.8 Normal +1.9
Jefferson County, WA 40.0 Normal +0.1
San Juan County, WA 36.8 Normal -3.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Island County
Flathead County, MT 39.9 Normal -0.0
Lancaster County, SC 39.8 Normal -0.1
Comal County, TX 39.8 Normal -0.1
Carroll County, NH 39.7 Normal -0.2
Missoula County, MT 40.1 Normal +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Island 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 Island 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 Island County, Washington?

    Island County has a County Distress Index score of 39.9 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,355th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 36th in Washington out of 39 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Island County?

    The primary driver of distress in Island County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 75.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Island County compare to neighboring counties?

    Island County (39.9) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Skagit County, WA (44.6); Kitsap County, WA (41.9); Snohomish County, WA (41.8).

  • 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 Island County?

    Island County, Washington has a population of approximately 86,267 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.