Modoc County, California

County Distress Index: Normal · 48.6 | 8,500 people · 32nd most distressed in California
American Default Research

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Modoc County, CA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 48.6 — 1671st 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 32nd of 58 counties. It scores lower 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. Modoc County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 88.2 — worse than roughly 88% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 88.2
Unemployment Rate 95
Poverty Rate 86
Income vs. State Median 95
Child Poverty Rate 87
Disability Rate 75
Transfer Income Dependency 89
Economic Vitality 73.5
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 60
Rent-to-Income Ratio 83
Business Formation Rate 95
House Price Change (YoY) 75
Housing Cost Burden 61.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 70
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 74
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 27
Homeownership Rate 34
Consumer Credit Distress 31.8
Debt in Collections 53
Medical Debt 7
Auto Loan Delinquency 6
Credit Card Delinquency 30
Uninsured Rate 63
Subprime Credit Population 37
Legal Distress 14.3
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 14

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Modoc County
Modoc County, CA 48.6 Normal —
Klamath County, OR 66.4 Serious +17.8
Lake County, OR 64.4 Elevated +15.9
Washoe County, NV 59.5 Elevated +10.9
Shasta County, CA 57.2 Elevated +8.6
Siskiyou County, CA 53.6 Elevated +5.0
Lassen County, CA 50.8 Elevated +2.3

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Modoc County
Gilmer County, WV 48.6 Normal 0.0
Union County, NM 48.5 Normal -0.0
Lyon County, KY 48.7 Normal +0.1
Mills County, TX 48.4 Normal -0.1
Greenwood County, KS 48.8 Normal +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Modoc 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 Modoc 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 Modoc County, California?

    Modoc County has a County Distress Index score of 48.6 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,671st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 32nd in California out of 58 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Modoc County?

    The primary driver of distress in Modoc County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 88.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Modoc County compare to neighboring counties?

    Modoc County (48.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Klamath County, OR (66.4); Lake County, OR (64.4); Washoe County, NV (59.5).

  • 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 Normal 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). Modoc County's score of 48.6 sits in the Normal zone (46–55).

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

    Modoc 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 Modoc County?

    Modoc County, California has a population of approximately 8,500 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.