Yavapai County, Arizona

County Distress Index: Normal · 47.9 | 249,081 people · 14th most distressed in Arizona
American Default Research

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Yavapai County, AZ falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 47.9 — 1720th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Economic Vitality, where wages are low relative to housing costs, business formation lags, and the local economy lacks dynamism. Within Arizona, it ranks 14th of 15 counties. It scores lower than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Yavapai County's primary driver is Economic Vitality at 77.7 — worse than roughly 78% of U.S. counties.

Economic Vitality Primary driver 77.7
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 93
Rent-to-Income Ratio 94
Business Formation Rate 20
House Price Change (YoY) 64
Housing Cost Burden 62.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 64
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 68
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 54
Homeownership Rate 55
Structural Poverty 51.2
Unemployment Rate 52
Poverty Rate 44
Income vs. State Median 28
Child Poverty Rate 45
Disability Rate 67
Transfer Income Dependency 71
Legal Distress 50.8
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 51
Consumer Credit Distress 33.7
Debt in Collections 31
Medical Debt 47
Auto Loan Delinquency 33
Credit Card Delinquency 27
Uninsured Rate 69
Subprime Credit Population 20

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Yavapai County
Yavapai County, AZ 47.9 Normal —
Gila County, AZ 64.7 Elevated +16.8
Mohave County, AZ 64.7 Elevated +16.8
Coconino County, AZ 63.2 Elevated +15.3
Maricopa County, AZ 60.7 Elevated +12.8
La Paz County, AZ 54.5 Elevated +6.6

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Yavapai County
Washington County, OH 47.9 Normal +0.0
Oxford County, ME 47.9 Normal +0.0
Douglas County, KS 47.8 Normal -0.1
Columbia County, GA 48.0 Normal +0.1
Kenton County, KY 48.0 Normal +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Yavapai County

Find an Attorney

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

State Bar of Arizona — Lawyer Referral Service 602-252-4804

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Yavapai County residents at no cost.

Community Legal Services (CLS) — Central and Northern Arizona 602-258-3434
Southern Arizona Legal Aid (SALA) 520-623-9465
DNA People's Legal Services 928-871-4151
Three Rivers Legal Services 602-258-3434
Community Legal Services, Inc. (800) 852-9075

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Yavapai County, Arizona?

    Yavapai County has a County Distress Index score of 47.9 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,720th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 14th in Arizona out of 15 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Yavapai County?

    The primary driver of distress in Yavapai County is Economic Vitality, where the county scores 77.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Rent-to-Income Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Yavapai County compare to neighboring counties?

    Yavapai County (47.9) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Gila County, AZ (64.7); Mohave County, AZ (64.7); Coconino County, AZ (63.2).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses PCA-weighted percentile scoring across five statistically derived factors: Consumer Credit Distress (47.5%), Housing Cost Burden (22.3%), Structural Poverty (13.6%), Economic Vitality (9.2%), and Legal Distress (7.4%). 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.

  • How often is the CDI updated?

    Annually, aligned to Census American Community Survey and Urban Institute Debt in America release windows — the slowest-moving source inputs. Between annual refreshes, faster-cadence indicators (BLS unemployment, QCEW wages) may drive light mid-year updates if a specific component moves meaningfully. Current data compiled April 14, 2026; next full refresh early 2027.

  • What does the Normal zone mean?

    The CDI divides counties into five zones: Healthy (below 46), Normal (46–55), Elevated (55–71), Serious (71–86), and Crisis (86 and above). Yavapai County's score of 47.9 sits in the Normal zone (46–55).

  • What data sources power Yavapai County's CDI score?

    Yavapai County's CDI score draws on Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax credit-bureau panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS, QCEW), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Every number on this page traces to one of these public sources.

  • What is the population of Yavapai County?

    Yavapai County, Arizona has a population of approximately 249,081 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.