Lincoln County, Washington

County Distress Index: Normal · 36.8 | 11,738 people · 37th most distressed in Washington
American Default Research

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Lincoln County, WA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 36.8 — 2548th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where employment and wage conditions show moderate stress. Within Washington, it ranks 37th of 39 counties. It scores lower than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Lincoln County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 56.4 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 56.4
Unemployment Rate 95
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 26
Business Formation Rate 48
Community Vulnerability 45.9
Uninsured Rate 5
Disability Rate 87
Income & Poverty 35.1
Poverty Rate 26
Income vs. State Median 48
Child Poverty Rate 31
Debt & Delinquency 25.2
Debt in Collections 25
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 18
Auto Loan Delinquency 32
Credit Card Delinquency 46
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 23
Housing Cost Burden 21.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 6
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 10
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 54
Homeownership Rate 26
Rent-to-Income Ratio 12

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Lincoln County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Lincoln County
Lincoln County, WA 36.8 Normal —
Adams County, WA 60.7 Elevated +23.9
Okanogan County, WA 59.8 Elevated +23.0
Grant County, WA 55.5 Elevated +18.7
Whitman County, WA 51.7 Elevated +14.9
Ferry County, WA 51.5 Elevated +14.7
Spokane County, WA 47.3 Normal +10.5
Stevens County, WA 44.6 Normal +7.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Lincoln County
Dodge County, NE 36.8 Normal -0.0
Marshall County, IN 36.8 Normal -0.0
San Juan County, WA 36.8 Normal -0.0
Millard County, UT 36.9 Normal +0.0
Winona County, MN 36.8 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Lincoln 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 Lincoln 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 Lincoln County, Washington?

    Lincoln County has a County Distress Index score of 36.8 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,548th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 37th in Washington out of 39 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Lincoln County?

    The primary driver of distress in Lincoln County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 56.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Lincoln County compare to neighboring counties?

    Lincoln County (36.8) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Adams County, WA (60.7); Okanogan County, WA (59.8); Grant County, WA (55.5).

  • 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 Lincoln County?

    Lincoln County, Washington has a population of approximately 11,738 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.