Spokane County, Washington

County Distress Index: Normal · 47.3 | 551,455 people · 21st most distressed in Washington
American Default Research

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Spokane County, WA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 47.3 — 1807th 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 21st of 39 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Spokane County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 86.5 — worse than roughly 87% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 86.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 92
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 84
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 90
Homeownership Rate 87
Rent-to-Income Ratio 80
Employment & Wages 53.1
Unemployment Rate 83
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 71
Business Formation Rate 5
Income & Poverty 35.5
Poverty Rate 41
Income vs. State Median 43
Child Poverty Rate 22
Community Vulnerability 32.8
Uninsured Rate 18
Disability Rate 48
Debt & Delinquency 28.6
Debt in Collections 24
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 18
Auto Loan Delinquency 37
Credit Card Delinquency 34
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 52

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Spokane County
Spokane County, WA 47.3 Normal —
Benewah County, ID 52.9 Elevated +5.6
Whitman County, WA 51.7 Elevated +4.4
Pend Oreille County, WA 48.1 Normal +0.8
Bonner County, ID 45.7 Normal -1.6
Kootenai County, ID 45.1 Normal -2.2
Stevens County, WA 44.6 Normal -2.7
Lincoln County, WA 36.8 Normal -10.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Spokane County
Richmond County, NY 47.1 Normal -0.1
Lorain County, OH 47.5 Normal +0.2
Washington County, AR 47.5 Normal +0.2
Pierce County, WA 47.1 Normal -0.2
Orange County, NY 47.1 Normal -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Spokane County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Spokane County.

COMMUNITY FRAMEWORKS
Spokane
509-484-6733 Website
Home Improvement/RehabPost-PurchasePre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education
SPOKANE NEIGHBORHOOD ACTION PARTNERS
Spokane
509-456-7627 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 Spokane 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 Spokane County, Washington?

    Spokane County has a County Distress Index score of 47.3 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,807th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 21st in Washington out of 39 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Spokane County?

    The primary driver of distress in Spokane County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 86.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Spokane County compare to neighboring counties?

    Spokane County (47.3) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Benewah County, ID (52.9); Whitman County, WA (51.7); Pend Oreille County, WA (48.1).

  • 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 Spokane County?

    Spokane County, Washington has a population of approximately 551,455 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.