Snohomish County, Washington

County Distress Index: Normal · 41.8 | 844,761 people · 32nd most distressed in Washington
American Default Research

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Snohomish County, WA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 41.8 — 2224th 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 32nd of 39 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 3 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Snohomish County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 89.1 — worse than roughly 89% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 89.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 94
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 84
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 99
Homeownership Rate 76
Rent-to-Income Ratio 92
Employment & Wages 67.4
Unemployment Rate 83
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 94
Business Formation Rate 25
Community Vulnerability 23.2
Uninsured Rate 30
Disability Rate 16
Debt & Delinquency 20.2
Debt in Collections 12
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 13
Auto Loan Delinquency 20
Credit Card Delinquency 21
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 48
Income & Poverty 9.2
Poverty Rate 12
Income vs. State Median 4
Child Poverty Rate 12

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Snohomish County
Snohomish County, WA 41.8 Normal —
Chelan County, WA 47.8 Normal +6.0
Skagit County, WA 44.6 Normal +2.8
Kitsap County, WA 41.9 Normal +0.1
Island County, WA 39.9 Normal -1.9
King County, WA 31.8 Healthy -10.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Snohomish County
Capitol Planning Region, CT 41.8 Normal -0.0
Kitsap County, WA 41.9 Normal +0.1
Weld County, CO 41.6 Normal -0.2
Henrico County, VA 42.1 Normal +0.2
El Paso County, CO 42.2 Normal +0.4

Download Data

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

Find Help in Snohomish County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Snohomish County.

PARKVIEW SERVICES
Lynnwood
206-542-6644 Website
Foreclosure PreventionPost-PurchasePre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education

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 Snohomish 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 Snohomish County, Washington?

    Snohomish County has a County Distress Index score of 41.8 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,224th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 32nd in Washington out of 39 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Snohomish County?

    The primary driver of distress in Snohomish County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 89.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Snohomish County compare to neighboring counties?

    Snohomish County (41.8) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Chelan County, WA (47.8); Skagit County, WA (44.6); Kitsap County, WA (41.9).

  • 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 Snohomish County?

    Snohomish County, Washington has a population of approximately 844,761 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.