Alpine County, California

County Distress Index: Healthy · 32.6 | 1,141 people · 54th most distressed in California
American Default Research

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Alpine County, CA ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 32.6 — 2608th 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 California, it ranks 54th of 58 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Alpine County's primary driver is Economic Vitality at 77.5 — worse than roughly 78% of U.S. counties.

Economic Vitality Primary driver 77.5
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 95
Rent-to-Income Ratio 59
Business Formation Rate 95
House Price Change (YoY) 10
Structural Poverty 57.3
Unemployment Rate 95
Poverty Rate 65
Income vs. State Median 43
Child Poverty Rate 84
Disability Rate 8
Transfer Income Dependency 60
Legal Distress 46.4
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 46
Consumer Credit Distress 22.6
Debt in Collections 30
Medical Debt 7
Auto Loan Delinquency 32
Credit Card Delinquency 41
Uninsured Rate 18
Subprime Credit Population 5
Housing Cost Burden 15.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 5
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 5
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 89
Homeownership Rate 15

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Alpine County
Alpine County, CA 32.6 Healthy —
Tuolumne County, CA 54.9 Elevated +22.4
Calaveras County, CA 50.1 Elevated +17.6
Amador County, CA 41.5 Normal +8.9
Douglas County, NV 39.9 Normal +7.4
El Dorado County, CA 37.7 Normal +5.1
Mono County, CA 31.6 Healthy -0.9

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Alpine County
Wayne County, IA 32.5 Healthy -0.0
Garfield County, MT 32.5 Healthy -0.0
Copper River Census Area, AK 32.4 Healthy -0.2
Kingman County, KS 32.4 Healthy -0.2
Kalawao County, HI 32.4 Healthy -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Alpine County

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 Alpine 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Alpine County has a County Distress Index score of 32.6 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,608th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 54th in California out of 58 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Alpine County?

    The primary driver of distress in Alpine County is Economic Vitality, where the county scores 77.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Rent-to-Income Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Alpine County compare to neighboring counties?

    Alpine County (32.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Tuolumne County, CA (54.9); Calaveras County, CA (50.1); Amador County, CA (41.5).

  • 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 Healthy 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). Alpine County's score of 32.6 sits in the Healthy zone (below 46).

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

    Alpine 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 Alpine County?

    Alpine County, California has a population of approximately 1,141 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.