Placer County, California

County Distress Index: Normal · 37.4 | 423,561 people · 50th most distressed in California
American Default Research

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Placer County, CA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 37.4 — 2348th 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 50th of 58 counties. It scores lower than all 8 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Placer County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 88.5 — worse than roughly 89% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 88.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 99
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 91
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 99
Homeownership Rate 51
Economic Vitality 77.8
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 94
Rent-to-Income Ratio 78
Business Formation Rate 34
House Price Change (YoY) 81
Legal Distress 58.6
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 59
Structural Poverty 13.8
Unemployment Rate 64
Poverty Rate 3
Income vs. State Median 8
Child Poverty Rate 1
Disability Rate 12
Transfer Income Dependency 7
Consumer Credit Distress 9.1
Debt in Collections 6
Medical Debt 7
Auto Loan Delinquency 11
Credit Card Delinquency 16
Uninsured Rate 4
Subprime Credit Population 9

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Placer County
Placer County, CA 37.4 Normal —
Yuba County, CA 65.5 Serious +28.1
Carson City, NV 61.7 Elevated +24.3
Washoe County, NV 59.5 Elevated +22.1
Sutter County, CA 57.6 Elevated +20.2
Sacramento County, CA 55.8 Elevated +18.4
Nevada County, CA 41.9 Normal +4.5
Douglas County, NV 39.9 Normal +2.5
El Dorado County, CA 37.7 Normal +0.3

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Placer County
McHenry County, IL 37.1 Normal -0.2
Jefferson County, CO 37.7 Normal +0.4
Westmoreland County, PA 38.1 Normal +0.7
Cumberland County, PA 38.2 Normal +0.8
Anoka County, MN 38.2 Normal +0.8

Download Data

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

Find Help in Placer 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 Placer 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Placer County, California?

    Placer County has a County Distress Index score of 37.4 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,348th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 50th in California out of 58 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Placer County?

    The primary driver of distress in Placer County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 88.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Placer County compare to neighboring counties?

    Placer County (37.4) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Yuba County, CA (65.5); Carson City, NV (61.7); 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). Placer County's score of 37.4 sits in the Normal zone (46–55).

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

    Placer 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 Placer County?

    Placer County, California has a population of approximately 423,561 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.