Kittitas County, Washington

County Distress Index: Elevated · 50.7 | 45,508 people · 15th most distressed in Washington
American Default Research

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Kittitas County, WA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 50.7 — 1540th 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 15th of 39 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 6 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Kittitas County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 90.5 — worse than roughly 91% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 90.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 92
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 97
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 88
Homeownership Rate 90
Rent-to-Income Ratio 86
Employment & Wages 63.5
Unemployment Rate 87
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 86
Business Formation Rate 17
Income & Poverty 50.8
Poverty Rate 63
Income vs. State Median 67
Child Poverty Rate 22
Community Vulnerability 28.9
Uninsured Rate 22
Disability Rate 35
Debt & Delinquency 19.9
Debt in Collections 14
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 4
Auto Loan Delinquency 19
Credit Card Delinquency 14
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 62

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Kittitas County
Kittitas County, WA 50.7 Elevated —
Yakima County, WA 64.5 Elevated +13.8
Grant County, WA 55.5 Elevated +4.8
Douglas County, WA 54.2 Elevated +3.5
Chelan County, WA 47.8 Normal -2.9
Pierce County, WA 47.1 Normal -3.6
King County, WA 31.8 Healthy -19.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Kittitas County
Mason County, IL 50.7 Elevated 0.0
Tioga County, PA 50.7 Elevated 0.0
Fulton County, IN 50.8 Elevated +0.0
Henderson County, KY 50.8 Elevated +0.0
Greene County, IN 50.8 Elevated +0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Kittitas 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 Kittitas 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.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Washington →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Kittitas County, Washington?

    Kittitas County has a County Distress Index score of 50.7 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,540th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 15th in Washington out of 39 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Kittitas County?

    The primary driver of distress in Kittitas County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 90.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Kittitas County compare to neighboring counties?

    Kittitas County (50.7) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Yakima County, WA (64.5); Grant County, WA (55.5); Douglas County, WA (54.2).

  • 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 Kittitas County?

    Kittitas County, Washington has a population of approximately 45,508 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.