Imperial County, California

County Distress Index: Serious · 69.0 | 179,057 people · 2nd most distressed in California
American Default Research

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Imperial County, CA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 69.0 — 437th 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 2nd of 58 counties. It scores higher than all 4 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Imperial County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 91.0 — worse than roughly 91% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 91.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 92
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 90
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 87
Homeownership Rate 95
Economic Vitality 79.3
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 80
Rent-to-Income Ratio 91
Business Formation Rate 92
House Price Change (YoY) 17
Structural Poverty 74.6
Unemployment Rate 99
Poverty Rate 75
Income vs. State Median 97
Child Poverty Rate 70
Disability Rate 40
Transfer Income Dependency 65
Consumer Credit Distress 57.3
Debt in Collections 53
Medical Debt 7
Auto Loan Delinquency 62
Credit Card Delinquency 78
Uninsured Rate 38
Subprime Credit Population 82
Legal Distress 55.1
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 55

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Imperial County
Imperial County, CA 69.0 Serious —
Riverside County, CA 62.8 Elevated -6.2
Yuma County, AZ 59.1 Elevated -9.9
La Paz County, AZ 54.5 Elevated -14.6
San Diego County, CA 48.8 Normal -20.2

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Imperial County
Clark County, OH 69.1 Serious +0.1
Tom Green County, TX 69.2 Serious +0.1
Taylor County, TX 69.4 Serious +0.3
Grayson County, TX 68.6 Serious -0.4
Houston County, GA 68.6 Serious -0.4

Download Data

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

Find Help in Imperial 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 Imperial 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 Imperial County, California?

    Imperial County has a County Distress Index score of 69.0 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 437th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 2nd in California out of 58 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Imperial County?

    The primary driver of distress in Imperial County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 91.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Imperial County compare to neighboring counties?

    Imperial County (69.0) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Riverside County, CA (62.8); Yuma County, AZ (59.1); La Paz County, AZ (54.5).

  • 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 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). Imperial County's score of 69.0 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Imperial 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 Imperial County?

    Imperial County, California has a population of approximately 179,057 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.