County Data

Maine County Distress Index

Financial distress scores for all 16 counties in Maine, scored 0–100 across five domains. Mean score: 42.9.

Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-26

Maine Snapshot

16 Counties Scored
42.9 Mean Score
45.4 Median Score
55.0 Androscoggin County Most Distressed
28.4 Lincoln County Least Distressed
3 Elevated 9 Normal 4 Healthy
Zone Distribution

Maine County Map

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Healthy Normal Elevated Serious Crisis

All 16 Maine counties colored by distress zone. Hover for details; click released counties for full reports.

Most & Least Distressed

Most Distressed

#1 Androscoggin County
55.0 Elevated
Economic Vitality
#2 Washington County
51.1 Elevated
Structural Poverty
#3 Somerset County
50.6 Elevated
Structural Poverty

Least Distressed

#16 Lincoln County
28.4 Healthy
Economic Vitality
#15 Cumberland County
32.6 Healthy
Economic Vitality
#14 York County
33.8 Healthy
Economic Vitality

Score Distribution

How Maine's 16 county scores are distributed across the 0–100 scale.

All Maine Counties

16 counties ranked by distress score. Click column headers to sort.

State Rank Nat'l Rank County Score Zone Primary Driver
1 1,270 Androscoggin County 55.0 Elevated Economic Vitality
2 1,513 Washington County 51.1 Elevated Structural Poverty
3 1,539 Somerset County 50.6 Elevated Structural Poverty
4 1,634 Piscataquis County 49.1 Normal Economic Vitality
5 1,637 Penobscot County 49.1 Normal Economic Vitality
6 1,718 Oxford County 47.9 Normal Economic Vitality
7 1,838 Waldo County 46.1 Normal Economic Vitality
8 1,856 Kennebec County 45.8 Normal Economic Vitality
9 1,894 Aroostook County 45.0 Normal Economic Vitality
10 2,047 Hancock County 42.4 Normal Economic Vitality
11 2,242 Franklin County 39.2 Normal Economic Vitality
12 2,401 Sagadahoc County 36.4 Normal Economic Vitality
13 2,525 Knox County 34.0 Healthy Economic Vitality
14 2,535 York County 33.8 Healthy Economic Vitality
15 2,604 Cumberland County 32.6 Healthy Economic Vitality
16 2,832 Lincoln County 28.4 Healthy Economic Vitality

How County Scores Work

Each county is scored 0–100 using PCA-weighted percentile-rank scoring across five statistically derived dimensions: Consumer Credit Distress, Housing Cost Burden, Structural Poverty, Economic Vitality, and Legal Distress. A score of 50 means the county falls at the national median. Higher scores indicate greater household financial distress.

Crisis (≥80) — Among the most distressed counties in the country
Serious (65–80) — More distressed than roughly 80% of counties
Elevated (50–65) — More distressed than roughly half of counties
Normal (35–50) — Near the national median
Healthy (<35) — Less distressed than most counties

Full CDI methodology and data sources

Maine Resources

Maine State Profile

State ADI score: 39.5 (Healthy). Debt, delinquency, and economic indicators for Maine.

Find Help in Maine

HUD-approved housing counselors, legal aid offices, credit counselors, and debtor education providers in Maine.

Maine Foreclosure Laws

Foreclosure process, timeline, homeowner protections, and legal resources in Maine.

State Distress Rankings

All 51 U.S. jurisdictions ranked by financial distress. Compare Maine to the rest of the country.

National County Profiles

All 3,144 U.S. counties ranked by financial distress score.
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If you're struggling with debt or facing foreclosure, free help is available. Find help near you · Browse the Glossary · The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provides HUD-approved housing counselors at no cost. You can also call 1-800-569-4287.