Santa Clara County, California

County Distress Index: Healthy · 27.6 | 1,877,592 people · 57th most distressed in California
American Default Research

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Santa Clara County is Silicon Valley. Apple, Google, Nvidia, the densest concentration of tech wealth on the planet. The county scores 27.7 — Healthy, 2,963rd out of 3,144 counties. By composite rank, it's one of the least distressed places in America. Poverty rate: 5.5th percentile. Debt in collections: 3.1st. Credit card delinquency: 8.1st. The financial health metrics are almost uniformly exceptional. Housing Cost Burden scores 82.4. Owner cost burden registers at the 90.4th percentile. Rent-to-income sits at the 88.6th. The pattern is the same one that appears in King County and San Francisco: enormous incomes neutralized by enormous housing costs. The difference is that Santa Clara's income advantage is so large it overwhelms the housing penalty in the composite. A household earning $170,000 spending 35% on housing shows up as burdened. It doesn't show up as distressed. The structural observation is what happens at the borders. Merced County, across Pacheco Pass, scores 71.7 (Serious). Stanislaus County: 59.5. The workers who can't afford Santa Clara commute from counties where housing is cheaper and every other distress metric is worse. The county's Healthy score is real. The affordability pressure it generates radiates outward into communities that don't share the wealth but absorb the cost.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Santa Clara County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 75.2 — worse than roughly 75% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 75.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 71
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 66
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 90
Homeownership Rate 96
Economic Vitality 45.0
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 15
Rent-to-Income Ratio 89
Business Formation Rate 33
House Price Change (YoY) 90
Legal Distress 16.3
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 16
Structural Poverty 9.4
Unemployment Rate 58
Poverty Rate 5
Income vs. State Median 1
Child Poverty Rate 3
Disability Rate 1
Transfer Income Dependency 1
Consumer Credit Distress 9.0
Debt in Collections 3
Medical Debt 7
Auto Loan Delinquency 24
Credit Card Delinquency 8
Uninsured Rate 8
Subprime Credit Population 6

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County, CA 27.6 Healthy —
Merced County, CA 67.7 Serious +40.0
Stanislaus County, CA 64.5 Elevated +36.8
San Benito County, CA 47.2 Normal +19.5
Santa Cruz County, CA 41.1 Normal +13.5
Alameda County, CA 39.3 Normal +11.6
San Mateo County, CA 29.7 Healthy +2.1

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Santa Clara County
Fairfax County, VA 30.0 Healthy +2.4
King County, WA 31.4 Healthy +3.8
Middlesex County, MA 32.5 Healthy +4.8
Nassau County, NY 36.0 Normal +8.4
Hennepin County, MN 37.5 Normal +9.8

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Santa Clara County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Santa Clara County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Santa Clara County.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY EAST BAY/SILICON VALLEY - MILPITAS
San Jose
510-803-3362 Website
Financial CounselingFinancial CounselingPost-PurchasePre-Purchase
PROJECT SENTINEL
Santa Clara
408-470-3730
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingPost-Purchase
SANTA CLARA COUNTY ASIAN LAW ALLIANCE
San Jose
408-287-9710 Website
Fair HousingHomeless/DisplacementRental Help

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 Santa Clara 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.

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Santa Clara County, California?

    Santa Clara County has a County Distress Index score of 27.6 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,865th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 57th in California out of 58 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Santa Clara County?

    The primary driver of distress in Santa Clara County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 75.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Santa Clara County compare to neighboring counties?

    Santa Clara County (27.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Merced County, CA (67.7); Stanislaus County, CA (64.5); 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 Healthy 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). Santa Clara County's score of 27.6 sits in the Healthy zone (below 46).

  • What data sources power Santa Clara County's CDI score?

    Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara County?

    Santa Clara County, California has a population of approximately 1,877,592 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a metro county.