Lassen County, California

County Distress Index: Elevated · 50.8 | 28,861 people · 28th most distressed in California
American Default Research

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Lassen County, CA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 50.8 — 1533rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Structural Poverty, where poverty rates are high, transfer income dependency is elevated, and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within California, it ranks 28th of 58 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 3 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Lassen County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 70.8 — above the national median.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 70.8
Unemployment Rate 95
Poverty Rate 73
Income vs. State Median 61
Child Poverty Rate 47
Disability Rate 69
Transfer Income Dependency 81
Housing Cost Burden 61.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 48
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 60
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 86
Homeownership Rate 77
Economic Vitality 55.1
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 57
Rent-to-Income Ratio 36
Business Formation Rate 99
House Price Change (YoY) 17
Consumer Credit Distress 41.4
Debt in Collections 52
Medical Debt 7
Auto Loan Delinquency 40
Credit Card Delinquency 43
Uninsured Rate 37
Subprime Credit Population 54
Legal Distress 38.0
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 38

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Lassen County
Lassen County, CA 50.8 Elevated —
Washoe County, NV 59.5 Elevated +8.7
Shasta County, CA 57.2 Elevated +6.4
Modoc County, CA 48.6 Normal -2.3
Plumas County, CA 40.4 Normal -10.4
Sierra County, CA 37.1 Normal -13.7

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Lassen County
Trousdale County, TN 50.9 Elevated +0.0
Fannin County, GA 50.9 Elevated +0.0
Clay County, TX 50.9 Elevated +0.0
Carbon County, UT 50.8 Elevated -0.0
Madison County, NC 50.9 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Lassen 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 Lassen 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 Lassen County, California?

    Lassen County has a County Distress Index score of 50.8 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,533rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 28th in California out of 58 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Lassen County?

    The primary driver of distress in Lassen County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 70.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Lassen County compare to neighboring counties?

    Lassen County (50.8) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Washoe County, NV (59.5); Shasta County, CA (57.2); Modoc County, CA (48.6).

  • 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 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). Lassen County's score of 50.8 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    Lassen 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 Lassen County?

    Lassen County, California has a population of approximately 28,861 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.