Lake County, California

County Distress Index: Serious · 68.0 | 67,878 people · 4th most distressed in California
American Default Research

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Lake County, CA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 68.0 — 494th 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 4th of 58 counties. It scores higher than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Lake County's primary driver is Economic Vitality at 91.5 — worse than roughly 92% of U.S. counties.

Economic Vitality Primary driver 91.5
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 91
Rent-to-Income Ratio 99
Business Formation Rate 82
House Price Change (YoY) 91
Structural Poverty 86.3
Unemployment Rate 99
Poverty Rate 76
Income vs. State Median 97
Child Poverty Rate 68
Disability Rate 84
Transfer Income Dependency 89
Housing Cost Burden 85.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 91
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 86
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 94
Homeownership Rate 67
Consumer Credit Distress 53.8
Debt in Collections 66
Medical Debt 7
Auto Loan Delinquency 41
Credit Card Delinquency 86
Uninsured Rate 34
Subprime Credit Population 64
Legal Distress 42.0
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 42

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Lake County
Lake County, CA 68.0 Serious —
Glenn County, CA 54.1 Elevated -13.9
Mendocino County, CA 53.9 Elevated -14.1
Colusa County, CA 46.8 Normal -21.2
Yolo County, CA 46.4 Normal -21.6
Napa County, CA 40.8 Normal -27.2
Sonoma County, CA 40.2 Normal -27.8

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Lake County
Talladega County, AL 68.0 Serious +0.1
Barrow County, GA 68.1 Serious +0.1
Chaves County, NM 67.9 Serious -0.1
Columbus County, NC 67.9 Serious -0.1
Hoke County, NC 67.9 Serious -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Lake 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 Lake 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 Lake County, California?

    Lake County has a County Distress Index score of 68.0 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 494th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 4th in California out of 58 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Lake County?

    The primary driver of distress in Lake County is Economic Vitality, where the county scores 91.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Rent-to-Income Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Lake County compare to neighboring counties?

    Lake County (68.0) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Glenn County, CA (54.1); Mendocino County, CA (53.9); Colusa County, CA (46.8).

  • 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). Lake County's score of 68.0 sits in the Serious zone (71–86).

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

    Lake 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 Lake County?

    Lake County, California has a population of approximately 67,878 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.