Milwaukee County, Wisconsin

County Distress Index: Elevated · 58.2 | 916,205 people · 2nd most distressed in Wisconsin
American Default Research

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Milwaukee County, WI registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 58.2 — 976th 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 Wisconsin, it ranks 2nd of 72 counties. It scores higher than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Milwaukee County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 87.1 — worse than roughly 87% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 87.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 81
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 83
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 91
Homeownership Rate 98
Rent-to-Income Ratio 82
Income & Poverty 73.9
Poverty Rate 73
Income vs. State Median 73
Child Poverty Rate 75
Debt & Delinquency 69.8
Debt in Collections 66
Medical Debt 44
Student Loan Delinquency 65
Auto Loan Delinquency 83
Credit Card Delinquency 64
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 96
Community Vulnerability 31.2
Uninsured Rate 41
Disability Rate 21
Employment & Wages 28.9
Unemployment Rate 41
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 33
Business Formation Rate 13

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Milwaukee County
Milwaukee County, WI 58.2 Elevated —
Muskegon County, MI 53.3 Elevated -4.9
Racine County, WI 44.3 Normal -13.9
Ottawa County, MI 31.8 Healthy -26.4
Washington County, WI 24.6 Healthy -33.6
Ozaukee County, WI 21.8 Healthy -36.4
Waukesha County, WI 21.3 Healthy -36.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Milwaukee County
Marion County, OR 58.2 Elevated 0.0
Prince George's County, MD 58.1 Elevated -0.1
Lake County, FL 58.1 Elevated -0.1
Mobile County, AL 58.0 Elevated -0.1
Lane County, OR 58.0 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Milwaukee County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Milwaukee County.

ACTS HOUSING
Milwaukee
414-933-2215 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFair Housing
HOUSING RESOURCES, INCORPORATED
Milwaukee
414-461-6330 Website
Foreclosure PreventionPost-PurchasePre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education
NSC (NACA COUNSELING SUBSIDIARY) - MILWAUKEE, WI
Wauwatosa
414-442-6222 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFair HousingPost-Purchase
OPERATION HOPE- MILWAUKEE WI
Milwaukee
414-426-2239 Website
Mortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingFair Housing
UNITED COMMUNITY CENTER
MILWAUKEE
414-384-3100 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingPost-PurchasePre-Purchase

See all counselors in Wisconsin →

Find an Attorney

State Bar of Wisconsin — Lawyer Referral and Information Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

State Bar of Wisconsin — Lawyer Referral and Information Service 608-257-4666 (Madison); 414-274-6768 (Milwaukee)

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Milwaukee County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee 414-278-7722
Legal Action of Wisconsin 608-256-3191 (Madison); 414-278-7722 (Milwaukee)
Wisconsin Judicare 715-842-1681 (Wausau); 1-800-472-1638 (statewide)
Disability Rights Wisconsin 608-267-0214
Judicare Legal Aid (715) 842-1681

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 Wisconsin →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Milwaukee County, Wisconsin?

    Milwaukee County has a County Distress Index score of 58.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 976th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 2nd in Wisconsin out of 72 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Milwaukee County?

    The primary driver of distress in Milwaukee County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 87.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Milwaukee County compare to neighboring counties?

    Milwaukee County (58.2) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Muskegon County, MI (53.3); Racine County, WI (44.3); Ottawa County, MI (31.8).

  • 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 Milwaukee County?

    Milwaukee County, Wisconsin has a population of approximately 916,205 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.