Plumas County, California

County Distress Index: Normal · 40.4 | 19,131 people · 45th most distressed in California
American Default Research

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Plumas County, CA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 40.4 — 2165th 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 45th of 58 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Plumas County's primary driver is Economic Vitality at 73.8 — above the national median.

Economic Vitality Primary driver 73.8
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 73
Rent-to-Income Ratio 87
Business Formation Rate 91
House Price Change (YoY) 5
Structural Poverty 73.8
Unemployment Rate 95
Poverty Rate 43
Income vs. State Median 92
Child Poverty Rate 52
Disability Rate 87
Transfer Income Dependency 69
Housing Cost Burden 51.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 52
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 39
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 95
Homeownership Rate 48
Consumer Credit Distress 23.1
Debt in Collections 29
Medical Debt 7
Auto Loan Delinquency 48
Credit Card Delinquency 25
Uninsured Rate 18
Subprime Credit Population 8
Legal Distress 16.1
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 16

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Plumas County
Plumas County, CA 40.4 Normal —
Yuba County, CA 65.5 Serious +25.1
Tehama County, CA 64.4 Elevated +24.0
Butte County, CA 64.2 Elevated +23.8
Shasta County, CA 57.2 Elevated +16.8
Lassen County, CA 50.8 Elevated +10.4
Sierra County, CA 37.1 Normal -3.3

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Plumas County
Itasca County, MN 40.4 Normal -0.0
Nodaway County, MO 40.4 Normal -0.0
Wetzel County, WV 40.5 Normal +0.0
Yancey County, NC 40.5 Normal +0.1
Menominee County, MI 40.3 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Plumas 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 Plumas 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 Plumas County, California?

    Plumas County has a County Distress Index score of 40.4 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,165th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 45th in California out of 58 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Plumas County?

    The primary driver of distress in Plumas County is Economic Vitality, where the county scores 73.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Rent-to-Income Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Plumas County compare to neighboring counties?

    Plumas County (40.4) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Yuba County, CA (65.5); Tehama County, CA (64.4); Butte County, CA (64.2).

  • 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 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). Plumas County's score of 40.4 sits in the Normal zone (46–55).

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

    Plumas 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 Plumas County?

    Plumas County, California has a population of approximately 19,131 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.