Fresno County, California

County Distress Index: Serious · 67.1 | 1,017,162 people · 6th most distressed in California
American Default Research

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California has two economies. The coastal one gets the headlines. The Central Valley one produces the food. Fresno County sits in the middle of the valley, and the distress numbers describe a fundamentally different state than the one most people imagine when they hear California. Unemployment is 8.2%, nearly double the national average. One in four children lives in poverty. Median household income falls below the California statewide figure — the only county in this batch of ten where that's true. The employment and wages domain scores 82.2. Income and poverty hits 76.9. Housing burden reaches 93.3. Three domains above 76, all compounding the same problem. The wages are low, the poverty is high, and the housing costs are still California housing costs. The Central Valley doesn't get coastal paychecks, but it gets coastal rent. Every neighbor is in the Serious zone. Merced scores 71.7. Madera, 69.8. Kings, 69.8. Tulare, 68.9. Fresno's 67.9 is the lowest in its own cluster. The county ranks 10th of 58 in California for distress. The agricultural economy that feeds the state produces a pocket of concentrated hardship that the statewide averages — pulled upward by Silicon Valley and the Bay — completely obscure.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Fresno County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 94.4 — worse than roughly 94% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 94.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 95
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 94
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 90
Homeownership Rate 96
Economic Vitality 82.9
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 91
Rent-to-Income Ratio 91
Business Formation Rate 58
House Price Change (YoY) 67
Structural Poverty 66.3
Unemployment Rate 99
Poverty Rate 77
Income vs. State Median 79
Child Poverty Rate 75
Disability Rate 25
Transfer Income Dependency 50
Legal Distress 56.0
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 56
Consumer Credit Distress 53.1
Debt in Collections 50
Medical Debt 7
Auto Loan Delinquency 61
Credit Card Delinquency 71
Uninsured Rate 40
Subprime Credit Population 71

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Fresno County
Fresno County, CA 67.1 Serious —
Merced County, CA 67.7 Serious +0.6
Kings County, CA 66.8 Serious -0.3
Tulare County, CA 66.6 Serious -0.4
Madera County, CA 63.4 Elevated -3.6
Monterey County, CA 53.1 Elevated -14.0
San Benito County, CA 47.2 Normal -19.9
Inyo County, CA 34.9 Healthy -32.2
Mono County, CA 31.6 Healthy -35.4

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Fresno County
Fulton County, GA 68.0 Serious +0.9
San Bernardino County, CA 68.7 Serious +1.6
Broward County, FL 69.5 Serious +2.4
Cuyahoga County, OH 63.7 Elevated -3.4
Harris County, TX 70.6 Serious +3.6

Download Data

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

Find Help in Fresno County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Fresno County.

COMMUNITY HOUSING COUNCIL OF FRESNO
Fresno
559-221-6919
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling
FRESNO INTERDENOMINATIONAL REFUGEE MINISTRIES
Fresno
559-487-1500 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling
SOUTHWEST FRESNO DEVELOPMENT CORP
Fresno
559-209-8031
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling

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 Fresno 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 →

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Fresno County has a County Distress Index score of 67.1 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 545th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 6th in California out of 58 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Fresno County?

    The primary driver of distress in Fresno County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 94.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Fresno County compare to neighboring counties?

    Fresno County (67.1) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Merced County, CA (67.7); Kings County, CA (66.8); Tulare County, CA (66.6).

  • 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 Serious 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). Fresno County's score of 67.1 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Fresno 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 Fresno County?

    Fresno County, California has a population of approximately 1,017,162 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a metro county.