San Joaquin County, California

County Distress Index: Elevated · 60.6 | 800,965 people · 16th most distressed in California
American Default Research

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San Joaquin County, CA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 60.6 — 915th 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 16th of 58 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. San Joaquin County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 89.0 — worse than roughly 89% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 89.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 92
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 83
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 97
Homeownership Rate 91
Economic Vitality 76.4
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 88
Rent-to-Income Ratio 76
Business Formation Rate 41
House Price Change (YoY) 90
Legal Distress 58.6
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 59
Consumer Credit Distress 49.8
Debt in Collections 45
Medical Debt 7
Auto Loan Delinquency 55
Credit Card Delinquency 71
Uninsured Rate 34
Subprime Credit Population 68
Structural Poverty 42.4
Unemployment Rate 94
Poverty Rate 42
Income vs. State Median 36
Child Poverty Rate 41
Disability Rate 20
Transfer Income Dependency 35

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. San Joaquin County
San Joaquin County, CA 60.6 Elevated —
Stanislaus County, CA 64.5 Elevated +3.9
Sacramento County, CA 55.8 Elevated -4.8
Calaveras County, CA 50.1 Elevated -10.5
Contra Costa County, CA 43.4 Normal -17.3
Amador County, CA 41.5 Normal -19.1
Alameda County, CA 39.3 Normal -21.3

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. San Joaquin County
Hamilton County, TN 60.5 Elevated -0.1
Alachua County, FL 60.5 Elevated -0.2
Winnebago County, IL 60.4 Elevated -0.2
Adams County, CO 60.3 Elevated -0.3
Pinellas County, FL 61.0 Elevated +0.4

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for San Joaquin County as a CSV file.

Find Help in San Joaquin County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near San Joaquin County.

VISIONARY HOME BUILDERS OF CALIFORNIA
Stockton
209-466-6811
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingPre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education

See all counselors in California →

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 San Joaquin 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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Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in California →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for San Joaquin County, California?

    San Joaquin County has a County Distress Index score of 60.6 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 915th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 16th in California out of 58 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in San Joaquin County?

    The primary driver of distress in San Joaquin County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 89.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does San Joaquin County compare to neighboring counties?

    San Joaquin County (60.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Stanislaus County, CA (64.5); Sacramento County, CA (55.8); Calaveras County, CA (50.1).

  • 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). San Joaquin County's score of 60.6 sits in the Elevated zone (55–71).

  • What data sources power San Joaquin County's CDI score?

    San Joaquin 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 San Joaquin County?

    San Joaquin County, California has a population of approximately 800,965 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.