Alameda County, California

County Distress Index: Normal · 39.3 | 1,622,188 people · 47th most distressed in California
American Default Research

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

Alameda County scores 38.7 — Normal zone, 53rd among California's 58 counties. By income and poverty measures, this is one of the least distressed large counties in the country. Poverty rate: 9.5%. Median household income nearly 47% above the state median. Debt collections, delinquency, medical debt — all bottom-decile. On paper, the East Bay looks fine. Housing is where the paper tears. Owner cost burden hits the 95th percentile nationally. Nearly half of renters are cost-burdened. The average weekly wage covers less than three weeks of rent at fair market rates. That 91.8th-percentile Housing Cost Burden score sitting above a 9.6th-percentile Income & Poverty score is the Bay Area formula: earn enough to stay out of poverty statistics, not enough to stay out of housing stress. The displacement shows up next door. Stanislaus County scores 59.5 (Elevated). San Joaquin: 55.9. Contra Costa manages 41.1. The counties where East Bay workers increasingly commute from absorb the distress that Alameda's income statistics mask. The affordability problem doesn't disappear. It migrates.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Alameda County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 89.0 — worse than roughly 89% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 89.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 87
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 86
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 95
Homeownership Rate 97
Economic Vitality 82.3
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 92
Rent-to-Income Ratio 94
Business Formation Rate 32
House Price Change (YoY) 93
Legal Distress 22.6
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 23
Consumer Credit Distress 17.2
Debt in Collections 10
Medical Debt 7
Auto Loan Delinquency 36
Credit Card Delinquency 20
Uninsured Rate 9
Subprime Credit Population 17
Structural Poverty 14.9
Unemployment Rate 69
Poverty Rate 16
Income vs. State Median 5
Child Poverty Rate 8
Disability Rate 5
Transfer Income Dependency 4

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Alameda County
Alameda County, CA 39.3 Normal —
Stanislaus County, CA 64.5 Elevated +25.2
San Joaquin County, CA 60.6 Elevated +21.3
Contra Costa County, CA 43.4 Normal +4.1
San Mateo County, CA 29.7 Healthy -9.6
Santa Clara County, CA 27.6 Healthy -11.6
San Francisco County, CA 25.7 Healthy -13.6

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Alameda County
Montgomery County, MD 40.3 Normal +1.0
New York County, NY 40.4 Normal +1.1
Oakland County, MI 38.1 Normal -1.2
Hennepin County, MN 37.5 Normal -1.8
Allegheny County, PA 41.6 Normal +2.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Alameda County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Alameda County.

A-1 COMMUNITY HOUSING SERVICES
Hayward
510-674-9227 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingHomeless/Displacement
EDEN COUNCIL FOR HOPE AND OPPORTUNITY (ECHO)
Hayward
510-581-9380 Website
Pre-PurchaseHomebuyer EducationRental Help
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY EAST BAY/SILICON VALLEY
Oakland
669-758-4869 Website
Financial CounselingFinancial CounselingPost-PurchasePre-Lease/Pre-Purchase
MONEY MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL - OAKLAND
Oakland
866-232-9080 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingPost-PurchasePre-Purchase
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REAL ESTATE BROKERS-INVESTMENT DIVISION, INC
OAKLAND
510-268-9792 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFair HousingHome Improvement/Rehab

See all counselors in California →

Find an Attorney

State Bar of California — Find a Lawyer offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

State Bar of California — Find a Lawyer 1-866-442-2529

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Alameda County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) 1-800-399-4529
Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County (NLSLA) 1-800-433-6251
Bay Area Legal Aid 1-800-551-5554
Legal Services of Northern California 1-800-822-9687
California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA) 1-800-337-0690
Inland Counties Legal Services (ICLS) 1-888-245-4257
Legal Aid Society of San Diego 1-877-534-2524
Community Legal Aid SoCal 1-800-834-5001
California Indian Legal Services, Inc. (760) 746-8941
Central California Legal Services (800) 675-8001
Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance, Inc. (661) 325-5943

Self-Help Resources

California Courts Self-Help — Foreclosure and Mortgage Help Official California courts self-help resource with information on foreclosure procedures, homeowner rights, tenant protections in foreclosure, and links to free legal help.
LawHelpCA — Foreclosure Prevention Statewide legal aid directory connecting Californians with free legal information and local legal aid providers for foreclosure prevention, including links to self-help guides and intake forms.
California Attorney General — Homeowner Bill of Rights Official AG page explaining HBOR protections, including fact sheets on dual-tracking prohibition, single point of contact, and how to file a complaint about servicer violations.
DFPI Mortgage Relief Resources DFPI consumer resources for housing and mortgage issues, including information on PACE financing, foreclosure scam alerts, and how to file complaints against licensees.

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 California →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Alameda County, California?

    Alameda County has a County Distress Index score of 39.3 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,237th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 47th in California out of 58 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Alameda County?

    The primary driver of distress in Alameda County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 89.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Alameda County compare to neighboring counties?

    Alameda County (39.3) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Stanislaus County, CA (64.5); San Joaquin County, CA (60.6); Contra Costa County, CA (43.4).

  • 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). Alameda County's score of 39.3 sits in the Normal zone (46–55).

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

    Alameda 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 Alameda County?

    Alameda County, California has a population of approximately 1,622,188 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a metro county.