Glenn County, California

County Distress Index: Elevated · 54.1 | 28,129 people · 23rd most distressed in California
American Default Research

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Glenn County, CA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 54.1 — 1334th 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 23rd 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. Glenn County's primary driver is Economic Vitality at 78.0 — worse than roughly 78% of U.S. counties.

Economic Vitality Primary driver 78.0
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 81
Rent-to-Income Ratio 82
Business Formation Rate 94
House Price Change (YoY) 18
Housing Cost Burden 62.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 54
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 57
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 67
Homeownership Rate 88
Structural Poverty 61.1
Unemployment Rate 97
Poverty Rate 49
Income vs. State Median 92
Child Poverty Rate 36
Disability Rate 26
Transfer Income Dependency 58
Consumer Credit Distress 45.5
Debt in Collections 46
Medical Debt 7
Auto Loan Delinquency 62
Credit Card Delinquency 53
Uninsured Rate 57
Subprime Credit Population 46
Legal Distress 43.2
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 43

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Glenn County
Glenn County, CA 54.1 Elevated —
Lake County, CA 68.0 Serious +13.9
Tehama County, CA 64.4 Elevated +10.3
Butte County, CA 64.2 Elevated +10.1
Mendocino County, CA 53.9 Elevated -0.2
Colusa County, CA 46.8 Normal -7.3

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Glenn County
Baxter County, AR 54.2 Elevated +0.1
Dickenson County, VA 54.3 Elevated +0.1
Kalkaska County, MI 54.0 Elevated -0.1
Colfax County, NM 54.3 Elevated +0.1
Mecosta County, MI 54.3 Elevated +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Glenn 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 Glenn 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 Glenn County, California?

    Glenn County has a County Distress Index score of 54.1 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,334th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 23rd in California out of 58 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Glenn County?

    The primary driver of distress in Glenn County is Economic Vitality, where the county scores 78.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Rent-to-Income Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Glenn County compare to neighboring counties?

    Glenn County (54.1) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Lake County, CA (68.0); Tehama County, CA (64.4); Butte County, CA (64.2).

  • 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). Glenn County's score of 54.1 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    Glenn 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 Glenn County?

    Glenn County, California has a population of approximately 28,129 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.