Skagit County, Washington

County Distress Index: Normal · 44.6 | 131,417 people · 27th most distressed in Washington
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Skagit County, WA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 44.6 — 2026th 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 27th of 39 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 6 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Skagit County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 79.9 — worse than roughly 80% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 79.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 90
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 78
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 97
Homeownership Rate 68
Rent-to-Income Ratio 66
Employment & Wages 68.8
Unemployment Rate 87
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 84
Business Formation Rate 35
Community Vulnerability 38.5
Uninsured Rate 36
Disability Rate 41
Debt & Delinquency 18.6
Debt in Collections 8
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 10
Auto Loan Delinquency 21
Credit Card Delinquency 21
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 45
Income & Poverty 17.4
Poverty Rate 18
Income vs. State Median 13
Child Poverty Rate 22

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Skagit County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Skagit County
Skagit County, WA 44.6 Normal —
Okanogan County, WA 59.8 Elevated +15.2
Chelan County, WA 47.8 Normal +3.2
Whatcom County, WA 47.4 Normal +2.8
Snohomish County, WA 41.8 Normal -2.8
Island County, WA 39.9 Normal -4.7
San Juan County, WA 36.8 Normal -7.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Skagit County
Berkeley County, WV 44.6 Normal 0.0
Elko County, NV 44.6 Normal -0.0
Blount County, TN 44.6 Normal -0.0
Rankin County, MS 44.5 Normal -0.1
Wayne County, NY 44.7 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Skagit 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 Skagit 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 →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Skagit County, Washington?

    Skagit County has a County Distress Index score of 44.6 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,026th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 27th in Washington out of 39 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Skagit County?

    The primary driver of distress in Skagit County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 79.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Skagit County compare to neighboring counties?

    Skagit County (44.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Okanogan County, WA (59.8); Chelan County, WA (47.8); Whatcom County, WA (47.4).

  • 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 Skagit County?

    Skagit County, Washington has a population of approximately 131,417 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.