Pacific County, Washington

County Distress Index: Elevated · 52.4 | 24,200 people · 12th most distressed in Washington
American Default Research

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Pacific County, WA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 52.4 — 1421st 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 12th of 39 counties. Among its 4 neighboring counties, 3 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Pacific County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 66.5 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 66.5
Unemployment Rate 97
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 66
Business Formation Rate 36
Income & Poverty 59.7
Poverty Rate 47
Income vs. State Median 82
Child Poverty Rate 51
Community Vulnerability 57.9
Uninsured Rate 22
Disability Rate 93
Housing Cost Burden 57.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 68
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 53
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 92
Homeownership Rate 14
Rent-to-Income Ratio 59
Debt & Delinquency 20.9
Debt in Collections 21
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 3
Auto Loan Delinquency 11
Credit Card Delinquency 44
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 40

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Pacific County compares to its 4 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Pacific County
Pacific County, WA 52.4 Elevated —
Grays Harbor County, WA 59.4 Elevated +7.0
Clatsop County, OR 59.3 Elevated +6.9
Lewis County, WA 56.8 Elevated +4.3
Wahkiakum County, WA 44.4 Normal -8.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Pacific County
Barton County, KS 52.4 Elevated +0.0
Coosa County, AL 52.4 Elevated -0.0
Independence County, AR 52.4 Elevated -0.0
Sanilac County, MI 52.5 Elevated +0.1
Colorado County, TX 52.5 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Pacific 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 Pacific 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 Pacific County, Washington?

    Pacific County has a County Distress Index score of 52.4 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,421st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 12th in Washington out of 39 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Pacific County?

    The primary driver of distress in Pacific County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 66.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Pacific County compare to neighboring counties?

    Pacific County (52.4) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Grays Harbor County, WA (59.4); Clatsop County, OR (59.3); Lewis County, WA (56.8).

  • 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 Pacific County?

    Pacific County, Washington has a population of approximately 24,200 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.