Sierra County, California

County Distress Index: Normal · 37.1 | 3,200 people · 51st most distressed in California
American Default Research

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Sierra County, CA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 37.1 — 2358th 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 51st of 58 counties. It scores lower than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Sierra County's primary driver is Economic Vitality at 92.5 — worse than roughly 93% of U.S. counties.

Economic Vitality Primary driver 92.5
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 93
Rent-to-Income Ratio 89
Business Formation Rate 95
House Price Change (YoY) 95
Structural Poverty 61.5
Unemployment Rate 89
Poverty Rate 42
Income vs. State Median 87
Child Poverty Rate 34
Disability Rate 63
Transfer Income Dependency 50
Consumer Credit Distress 33.5
Debt in Collections 38
Medical Debt 7
Auto Loan Delinquency 32
Credit Card Delinquency 56
Uninsured Rate 79
Subprime Credit Population 13
Legal Distress 16.0
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 16
Housing Cost Burden 14.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 6
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 5
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 53
Homeownership Rate 27

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Sierra County
Sierra County, CA 37.1 Normal —
Yuba County, CA 65.5 Serious +28.4
Washoe County, NV 59.5 Elevated +22.3
Lassen County, CA 50.8 Elevated +13.7
Nevada County, CA 41.9 Normal +4.8
Plumas County, CA 40.4 Normal +3.3

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Sierra County
Roger Mills County, OK 37.1 Normal +0.0
Caribou County, ID 37.1 Normal -0.0
Lincoln County, KS 37.2 Normal +0.1
Schuyler County, MO 37.0 Normal -0.1
Boyd County, NE 37.0 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Sierra 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 Sierra 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 Sierra County, California?

    Sierra County has a County Distress Index score of 37.1 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,358th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 51st in California out of 58 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Sierra County?

    The primary driver of distress in Sierra County is Economic Vitality, where the county scores 92.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Rent-to-Income Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Sierra County compare to neighboring counties?

    Sierra County (37.1) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Yuba County, CA (65.5); Washoe County, NV (59.5); Lassen County, CA (50.8).

  • 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). Sierra County's score of 37.1 sits in the Normal zone (46–55).

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

    Sierra 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 Sierra County?

    Sierra County, California has a population of approximately 3,200 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.