El Dorado County, California

County Distress Index: Normal · 37.7 | 192,215 people · 49th most distressed in California
American Default Research

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El Dorado County, CA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 37.7 — 2331st 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 California, it ranks 49th 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. El Dorado County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 86.2 — worse than roughly 86% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 86.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 96
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 93
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 99
Homeownership Rate 39
Economic Vitality 83.3
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 97
Rent-to-Income Ratio 81
Business Formation Rate 50
House Price Change (YoY) 85
Legal Distress 51.2
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 51
Structural Poverty 18.7
Unemployment Rate 78
Poverty Rate 4
Income vs. State Median 10
Child Poverty Rate 4
Disability Rate 20
Transfer Income Dependency 11
Consumer Credit Distress 9.4
Debt in Collections 8
Medical Debt 7
Auto Loan Delinquency 7
Credit Card Delinquency 17
Uninsured Rate 8
Subprime Credit Population 9

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. El Dorado County
El Dorado County, CA 37.7 Normal —
Sacramento County, CA 55.8 Elevated +18.2
Amador County, CA 41.5 Normal +3.8
Douglas County, NV 39.9 Normal +2.3
Placer County, CA 37.4 Normal -0.3
Alpine County, CA 32.6 Healthy -5.1

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. El Dorado County
Ward County, ND 37.5 Normal -0.1
Franklin County, VA 37.5 Normal -0.1
Kauai County, HI 37.5 Normal -0.1
Hancock County, IN 37.8 Normal +0.2
Adams County, PA 37.5 Normal -0.2

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for El Dorado County as a CSV file.

Find Help in El Dorado 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 El Dorado 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 El Dorado County, California?

    El Dorado County has a County Distress Index score of 37.7 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,331st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 49th in California out of 58 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in El Dorado County?

    The primary driver of distress in El Dorado County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 86.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does El Dorado County compare to neighboring counties?

    El Dorado County (37.7) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Sacramento County, CA (55.8); Amador County, CA (41.5); Douglas County, NV (39.9).

  • 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 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). El Dorado County's score of 37.7 sits in the Normal zone (46–55).

  • What data sources power El Dorado County's CDI score?

    El Dorado 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 El Dorado County?

    El Dorado County, California has a population of approximately 192,215 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.