Walla Walla County, Washington

County Distress Index: Elevated · 54.8 | 61,568 people · 8th most distressed in Washington
American Default Research

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

Walla Walla County, WA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 54.8 — 1221st 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 8th of 39 counties. Among its 4 neighboring counties, 3 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Walla Walla County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 81.4 — worse than roughly 81% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 81.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 82
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 66
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 92
Homeownership Rate 82
Rent-to-Income Ratio 85
Employment & Wages 72.3
Unemployment Rate 74
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 89
Business Formation Rate 54
Income & Poverty 51.7
Poverty Rate 61
Income vs. State Median 50
Child Poverty Rate 44
Community Vulnerability 46.3
Uninsured Rate 50
Disability Rate 43
Debt & Delinquency 22.3
Debt in Collections 14
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 30
Auto Loan Delinquency 6
Credit Card Delinquency 21
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 55

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Walla Walla County
Walla Walla County, WA 54.8 Elevated —
Umatilla County, OR 60.5 Elevated +5.8
Franklin County, WA 49.8 Normal -5.0
Benton County, WA 45.3 Normal -9.5
Columbia County, WA 44.5 Normal -10.3

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Walla Walla County
Bossier Parish, LA 54.8 Elevated -0.0
Jackson County, MS 54.8 Elevated -0.0
Dorchester County, SC 54.7 Elevated -0.1
Oswego County, NY 55.0 Elevated +0.2
Carbon County, PA 54.6 Elevated -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Walla Walla 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 Walla Walla 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 Walla Walla County, Washington?

    Walla Walla County has a County Distress Index score of 54.8 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,221st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 8th in Washington out of 39 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Walla Walla County?

    The primary driver of distress in Walla Walla County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 81.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Walla Walla County compare to neighboring counties?

    Walla Walla County (54.8) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Umatilla County, OR (60.5); Franklin County, WA (49.8); Benton County, WA (45.3).

  • 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 Walla Walla County?

    Walla Walla County, Washington has a population of approximately 61,568 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.