Yolo County, California

County Distress Index: Normal · 46.4 | 220,544 people · 37th most distressed in California
American Default Research

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Yolo County, CA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 46.4 — 1822nd 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 37th 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. Yolo County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 95.8 — worse than roughly 96% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 95.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 96
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 97
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 91
Homeownership Rate 97
Economic Vitality 87.0
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 88
Rent-to-Income Ratio 90
Business Formation Rate 78
House Price Change (YoY) 90
Structural Poverty 32.5
Unemployment Rate 90
Poverty Rate 63
Income vs. State Median 25
Child Poverty Rate 17
Disability Rate 8
Transfer Income Dependency 13
Legal Distress 30.9
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 31
Consumer Credit Distress 21.7
Debt in Collections 16
Medical Debt 7
Auto Loan Delinquency 34
Credit Card Delinquency 26
Uninsured Rate 13
Subprime Credit Population 27

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Yolo County
Yolo County, CA 46.4 Normal —
Lake County, CA 68.0 Serious +21.6
Sutter County, CA 57.6 Elevated +11.2
Solano County, CA 57.1 Elevated +10.8
Sacramento County, CA 55.8 Elevated +9.5
Colusa County, CA 46.8 Normal +0.4
Napa County, CA 40.8 Normal -5.6

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Yolo County
Rogers County, OK 46.4 Normal +0.0
Cass County, MI 46.3 Normal -0.1
Bullitt County, KY 46.2 Normal -0.2
Kosciusko County, IN 46.5 Normal +0.2
Beaver County, PA 46.5 Normal +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Yolo 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 Yolo 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 Yolo County, California?

    Yolo County has a County Distress Index score of 46.4 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,822nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 37th in California out of 58 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Yolo County?

    The primary driver of distress in Yolo County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 95.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Yolo County compare to neighboring counties?

    Yolo County (46.4) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Lake County, CA (68.0); Sutter County, CA (57.6); Solano County, CA (57.1).

  • 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 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). Yolo County's score of 46.4 sits in the Normal zone (46–55).

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

    Yolo 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 Yolo County?

    Yolo County, California has a population of approximately 220,544 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.