Calaveras County, California

County Distress Index: Elevated · 50.1 | 46,565 people · 29th most distressed in California
American Default Research

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Calaveras County, CA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 50.1 — 1570th 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 29th of 58 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 3 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Calaveras County's primary driver is Economic Vitality at 80.6 — worse than roughly 81% of U.S. counties.

Economic Vitality Primary driver 80.6
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 86
Rent-to-Income Ratio 74
Business Formation Rate 73
House Price Change (YoY) 91
Housing Cost Burden 76.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 94
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 84
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 95
Homeownership Rate 4
Legal Distress 75.6
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 76
Structural Poverty 62.8
Unemployment Rate 93
Poverty Rate 39
Income vs. State Median 63
Child Poverty Rate 38
Disability Rate 86
Transfer Income Dependency 61
Consumer Credit Distress 24.3
Debt in Collections 21
Medical Debt 7
Auto Loan Delinquency 18
Credit Card Delinquency 46
Uninsured Rate 21
Subprime Credit Population 29

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Calaveras County
Calaveras County, CA 50.1 Elevated —
Stanislaus County, CA 64.5 Elevated +14.3
San Joaquin County, CA 60.6 Elevated +10.5
Tuolumne County, CA 54.9 Elevated +4.8
Amador County, CA 41.5 Normal -8.6
Alpine County, CA 32.6 Healthy -17.6

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Calaveras County
Sanders County, MT 50.1 Elevated +0.0
Union County, OR 50.1 Elevated -0.1
Louisa County, VA 50.2 Elevated +0.1
Crawford County, MI 50.0 Elevated -0.1
Meade County, KY 50.0 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Calaveras 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 Calaveras 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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Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in California →

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Calaveras County has a County Distress Index score of 50.1 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,570th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 29th in California out of 58 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Calaveras County?

    The primary driver of distress in Calaveras County is Economic Vitality, where the county scores 80.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Rent-to-Income Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Calaveras County compare to neighboring counties?

    Calaveras County (50.1) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Stanislaus County, CA (64.5); San Joaquin County, CA (60.6); Tuolumne County, CA (54.9).

  • 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 Elevated 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). Calaveras County's score of 50.1 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    Calaveras 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 Calaveras County?

    Calaveras County, California has a population of approximately 46,565 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.