Lewis County, Washington

County Distress Index: Elevated · 56.8 | 86,154 people · 6th most distressed in Washington
American Default Research

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Lewis County, WA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 56.8 — 1090th 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 6th of 39 counties. Among its 8 neighboring counties, 6 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Lewis County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 70.8 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 70.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 76
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 74
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 89
Homeownership Rate 51
Rent-to-Income Ratio 64
Employment & Wages 68.1
Unemployment Rate 95
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 60
Business Formation Rate 49
Community Vulnerability 60.4
Uninsured Rate 41
Disability Rate 80
Income & Poverty 52.9
Poverty Rate 51
Income vs. State Median 63
Child Poverty Rate 45
Debt & Delinquency 31.5
Debt in Collections 31
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 35
Auto Loan Delinquency 18
Credit Card Delinquency 34
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 63

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Lewis County compares to its 8 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Lewis County
Lewis County, WA 56.8 Elevated —
Yakima County, WA 64.5 Elevated +7.8
Grays Harbor County, WA 59.4 Elevated +2.7
Cowlitz County, WA 54.5 Elevated -2.2
Pacific County, WA 52.4 Elevated -4.3
Pierce County, WA 47.1 Normal -9.6
Thurston County, WA 45.8 Normal -11.0
Wahkiakum County, WA 44.4 Normal -12.3
Skamania County, WA 40.9 Normal -15.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Lewis County
Calhoun County, MI 56.9 Elevated +0.1
Waller County, TX 56.5 Elevated -0.2
Carson City, NV 56.5 Elevated -0.2
Belmont County, OH 57.0 Elevated +0.2
Williamson County, IL 56.5 Elevated -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Lewis 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 Lewis 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 Lewis County, Washington?

    Lewis County has a County Distress Index score of 56.8 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,090th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 6th in Washington out of 39 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Lewis County?

    The primary driver of distress in Lewis County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 70.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Lewis County compare to neighboring counties?

    Lewis County (56.8) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Yakima County, WA (64.5); Grays Harbor County, WA (59.4); Cowlitz County, WA (54.5).

  • 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 Lewis County?

    Lewis County, Washington has a population of approximately 86,154 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.