Mason County, Washington

County Distress Index: Normal · 49.5 | 68,389 people · 17th most distressed in Washington
American Default Research

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Mason County, WA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 49.5 — 1625th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where unemployment is elevated, wages are low relative to housing costs, and business formation lags. Within Washington, it ranks 17th of 39 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Mason County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 69.8 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 69.8
Unemployment Rate 93
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 71
Business Formation Rate 45
Community Vulnerability 59.5
Uninsured Rate 42
Disability Rate 77
Housing Cost Burden 55.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 46
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 80
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 83
Homeownership Rate 14
Rent-to-Income Ratio 55
Income & Poverty 41.4
Poverty Rate 38
Income vs. State Median 38
Child Poverty Rate 49
Debt & Delinquency 21.4
Debt in Collections 16
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 21
Auto Loan Delinquency 9
Credit Card Delinquency 19
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 57

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Mason County
Mason County, WA 49.5 Normal —
Grays Harbor County, WA 59.4 Elevated +9.9
Pierce County, WA 47.1 Normal -2.4
Thurston County, WA 45.8 Normal -3.8
Kitsap County, WA 41.9 Normal -7.6
Jefferson County, WA 40.0 Normal -9.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Mason County
Shiawassee County, MI 49.6 Normal +0.0
Macon County, IL 49.5 Normal -0.0
Ionia County, MI 49.5 Normal -0.0
Yolo County, CA 49.6 Normal +0.1
Polk County, OR 49.4 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Mason 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 Mason 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 Mason County, Washington?

    Mason County has a County Distress Index score of 49.5 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,625th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 17th in Washington out of 39 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Mason County?

    The primary driver of distress in Mason County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 69.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Mason County compare to neighboring counties?

    Mason County (49.5) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Grays Harbor County, WA (59.4); Pierce County, WA (47.1); Thurston County, WA (45.8).

  • 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 Mason County?

    Mason County, Washington has a population of approximately 68,389 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.