Pierce County, Washington

County Distress Index: Normal · 47.1 | 928,696 people · 22nd most distressed in Washington
American Default Research

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Pierce County, WA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 47.1 — 1819th 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 22nd of 39 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Pierce County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 86.3 — worse than roughly 86% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 86.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 93
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 79
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 100
Homeownership Rate 85
Rent-to-Income Ratio 76
Employment & Wages 66.9
Unemployment Rate 87
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 89
Business Formation Rate 24
Debt & Delinquency 37.7
Debt in Collections 33
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 30
Auto Loan Delinquency 46
Credit Card Delinquency 47
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 63
Community Vulnerability 30.1
Uninsured Rate 30
Disability Rate 30
Income & Poverty 14.5
Poverty Rate 20
Income vs. State Median 8
Child Poverty Rate 16

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Pierce County
Pierce County, WA 47.1 Normal —
Yakima County, WA 64.5 Elevated +17.4
Lewis County, WA 56.8 Elevated +9.6
Kittitas County, WA 50.7 Elevated +3.6
Mason County, WA 49.5 Normal +2.4
Thurston County, WA 45.8 Normal -1.3
Kitsap County, WA 41.9 Normal -5.2
King County, WA 31.8 Healthy -15.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Pierce County
Orange County, NY 47.1 Normal -0.0
Richmond County, NY 47.1 Normal +0.0
Spokane County, WA 47.3 Normal +0.2
Ocean County, NJ 46.9 Normal -0.2
South Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT 46.7 Normal -0.4

Download Data

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

Find Help in Pierce County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Pierce County.

TACOMA/ PIERCE COUNTY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
Tacoma
253-627-5626x120 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingPost-Purchase

See all counselors in Washington →

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 Pierce 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 Pierce County, Washington?

    Pierce County has a County Distress Index score of 47.1 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,819th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 22nd in Washington out of 39 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Pierce County?

    The primary driver of distress in Pierce County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 86.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Pierce County compare to neighboring counties?

    Pierce County (47.1) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Yakima County, WA (64.5); Lewis County, WA (56.8); Kittitas County, WA (50.7).

  • 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 Pierce County?

    Pierce County, Washington has a population of approximately 928,696 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.