King County, Washington
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for King County. Population: 2,271,380 (metro).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
King County, WA ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 31.8 — 2812th 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 39th of 39 counties. It scores lower than all 6 of its neighboring counties.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How King County compares to all U.S. counties across five dimensions of financial distress. Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.
Housing Cost Burden
Primary DriverEmployment & Wages
Debt & Delinquency
Community Vulnerability
Income & Poverty
How King County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| King County, WA | 31.8 | Healthy | — |
| Yakima County, WA | 64.5 | Elevated | +32.8 |
| Kittitas County, WA | 50.7 | Elevated | +19.0 |
| Chelan County, WA | 47.8 | Normal | +16.1 |
| Pierce County, WA | 47.1 | Normal | +15.3 |
| Kitsap County, WA | 41.9 | Normal | +10.2 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (metro) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hennepin County, MN | 31.6 | Healthy | -0.2 |
| Middlesex County, MA | 33.3 | Healthy | +1.5 |
| Wake County, NC | 33.6 | Healthy | +1.8 |
| Nassau County, NY | 29.3 | Healthy | -2.5 |
| Montgomery County, MD | 34.8 | Healthy | +3.1 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for King County as a CSV file.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for King County, Washington?
King County has a County Distress Index score of 31.8 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,812th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 39th in Washington out of 39 counties.
What drives financial distress in King County?
The primary driver of distress in King County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 83.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).
How does King County compare to neighboring counties?
King County (31.8) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Yakima County, WA (64.5); Kittitas County, WA (50.7); Chelan County, WA (47.8).
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 King County?
King County, Washington has a population of approximately 2,271,380 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a metro county.