Trinity County, California

County Distress Index: Normal · 39.2 | 15,670 people · 48th most distressed in California
American Default Research

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Trinity County, CA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 39.2 — 2241st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Structural Poverty, where poverty rates are high, transfer income dependency is elevated, and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within California, it ranks 48th 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. Trinity County's primary driver is Structural Poverty at 88.4 — worse than roughly 88% of U.S. counties.

Structural Poverty Primary driver 88.4
Unemployment Rate 90
Poverty Rate 88
Income vs. State Median 95
Child Poverty Rate 90
Disability Rate 66
Transfer Income Dependency 95
Economic Vitality 68.9
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 56
Rent-to-Income Ratio 90
Business Formation Rate 92
House Price Change (YoY) 22
Housing Cost Burden 41.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 35
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 39
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 47
Homeownership Rate 57
Consumer Credit Distress 22.4
Debt in Collections 30
Medical Debt 7
Auto Loan Delinquency 5
Credit Card Delinquency 12
Uninsured Rate 79
Subprime Credit Population 27
Legal Distress 13.4
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 13

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Trinity County
Trinity County, CA 39.2 Normal —
Tehama County, CA 64.4 Elevated +25.2
Shasta County, CA 57.2 Elevated +18.0
Mendocino County, CA 53.9 Elevated +14.7
Siskiyou County, CA 53.6 Elevated +14.4
Humboldt County, CA 53.3 Elevated +14.1

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Trinity County
Franklin County, ME 39.2 Normal 0.0
Kanabec County, MN 39.2 Normal +0.0
Wyoming County, PA 39.3 Normal +0.1
Jasper County, IN 39.3 Normal +0.2
Morgan County, IL 39.0 Normal -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Trinity 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 Trinity 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 Trinity County, California?

    Trinity County has a County Distress Index score of 39.2 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,241st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 48th in California out of 58 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Trinity County?

    The primary driver of distress in Trinity County is Structural Poverty, where the county scores 88.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median.

  • How does Trinity County compare to neighboring counties?

    Trinity County (39.2) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Tehama County, CA (64.4); Shasta County, CA (57.2); Mendocino County, CA (53.9).

  • 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). Trinity County's score of 39.2 sits in the Normal zone (46–55).

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

    Trinity 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 Trinity County?

    Trinity County, California has a population of approximately 15,670 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.