Whitman County, Washington

County Distress Index: Elevated · 51.7 | 48,012 people · 13th most distressed in Washington
American Default Research

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Whitman County, WA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 51.7 — 1468th 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 13th of 39 counties. Among its 10 neighboring counties, 7 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Whitman County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 90.5 — worse than roughly 91% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 90.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 99
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 100
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 83
Homeownership Rate 99
Rent-to-Income Ratio 72
Income & Poverty 72.7
Poverty Rate 95
Income vs. State Median 88
Child Poverty Rate 36
Employment & Wages 60.0
Unemployment Rate 72
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 18
Business Formation Rate 90
Community Vulnerability 23.8
Uninsured Rate 22
Disability Rate 25
Debt & Delinquency 11.6
Debt in Collections 13
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 16
Auto Loan Delinquency 13
Credit Card Delinquency 15
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 5

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Whitman County compares to its 10 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Whitman County
Whitman County, WA 51.7 Elevated —
Adams County, WA 60.7 Elevated +9.0
Asotin County, WA 59.3 Elevated +7.5
Benewah County, ID 52.9 Elevated +1.2
Franklin County, WA 49.8 Normal -1.9
Spokane County, WA 47.3 Normal -4.4
Nez Perce County, ID 45.5 Normal -6.2
Garfield County, WA 45.1 Normal -6.6
Columbia County, WA 44.5 Normal -7.2
Latah County, ID 40.9 Normal -10.8
Lincoln County, WA 36.8 Normal -14.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Whitman County
Lake County, MT 51.8 Elevated +0.0
Alleghany County, VA 51.6 Elevated -0.1
Cass County, IN 51.9 Elevated +0.1
Custer County, MT 51.6 Elevated -0.1
Moore County, TX 51.5 Elevated -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Whitman 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 Whitman 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 Whitman County, Washington?

    Whitman County has a County Distress Index score of 51.7 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,468th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 13th in Washington out of 39 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Whitman County?

    The primary driver of distress in Whitman County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 90.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Whitman County compare to neighboring counties?

    Whitman County (51.7) can be compared to its 10 neighboring counties: Adams County, WA (60.7); Asotin County, WA (59.3); Benewah County, ID (52.9).

  • 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 Whitman County?

    Whitman County, Washington has a population of approximately 48,012 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.