Monterey County, California

County Distress Index: Elevated · 53.1 | 430,723 people · 27th most distressed in California
American Default Research

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Monterey County, CA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 53.1 — 1397th 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 27th 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. Monterey County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 94.7 — worse than roughly 95% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 94.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 99
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 89
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 95
Homeownership Rate 99
Economic Vitality 94.1
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 99
Rent-to-Income Ratio 99
Business Formation Rate 83
House Price Change (YoY) 78
Legal Distress 46.4
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 46
Structural Poverty 39.8
Unemployment Rate 99
Poverty Rate 54
Income vs. State Median 34
Child Poverty Rate 63
Disability Rate 4
Transfer Income Dependency 12
Consumer Credit Distress 30.4
Debt in Collections 23
Medical Debt 7
Auto Loan Delinquency 29
Credit Card Delinquency 36
Uninsured Rate 64
Subprime Credit Population 38

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Monterey County
Monterey County, CA 53.1 Elevated —
Fresno County, CA 67.1 Serious +14.0
Kings County, CA 66.8 Serious +13.7
San Benito County, CA 47.2 Normal -5.9
San Luis Obispo County, CA 42.8 Normal -10.3
Santa Cruz County, CA 41.1 Normal -11.9

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Monterey County
Butler County, OH 53.1 Elevated +0.0
Northampton County, PA 53.0 Elevated -0.0
Gloucester County, NJ 53.0 Elevated -0.1
Baldwin County, AL 52.8 Elevated -0.2
Stark County, OH 52.8 Elevated -0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Monterey 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 Monterey 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 Monterey County, California?

    Monterey County has a County Distress Index score of 53.1 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,397th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 27th in California out of 58 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Monterey County?

    The primary driver of distress in Monterey County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 94.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Monterey County compare to neighboring counties?

    Monterey County (53.1) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Fresno County, CA (67.1); Kings County, CA (66.8); San Benito County, CA (47.2).

  • 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). Monterey County's score of 53.1 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

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

    Monterey 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 Monterey County?

    Monterey County, California has a population of approximately 430,723 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.