St. Mary's County, Maryland

County Distress Index: Normal · 40.8 | 115,281 people · 18th most distressed in Maryland
American Default Research

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St. Mary's County, MD falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 40.8 — 2143rd 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 Maryland, it ranks 18th of 24 counties. It scores lower than all 6 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. St. Mary's County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 69.7 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 69.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 68
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 76
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 70
Homeownership Rate 59
Economic Vitality 54.0
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 57
Rent-to-Income Ratio 54
Business Formation Rate 62
House Price Change (YoY) 24
Legal Distress 45.8
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 46
Consumer Credit Distress 31.6
Debt in Collections 31
Medical Debt 27
Auto Loan Delinquency 36
Credit Card Delinquency 36
Uninsured Rate 5
Subprime Credit Population 38
Structural Poverty 14.0
Unemployment Rate 23
Poverty Rate 9
Income vs. State Median 20
Child Poverty Rate 12
Disability Rate 11
Transfer Income Dependency 10

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. St. Mary's County
St. Mary's County, MD 40.8 Normal —
Somerset County, MD 73.8 Serious +33.0
Dorchester County, MD 69.5 Serious +28.7
Westmoreland County, VA 66.7 Serious +25.9
Charles County, MD 61.4 Elevated +20.6
Calvert County, MD 43.6 Normal +2.9
Northumberland County, VA 42.0 Normal +1.2

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. St. Mary's County
Napa County, CA 40.8 Normal +0.0
Eaton County, MI 40.8 Normal +0.0
Madison County, NY 41.0 Normal +0.2
Wood County, OH 41.0 Normal +0.2
Iron County, UT 41.0 Normal +0.2

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for St. Mary's County as a CSV file.

Find Help in St. Mary's County

Find an Attorney

Maryland State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Maryland State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service 410-685-7878

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving St. Mary's County residents at no cost.

Maryland Legal Aid 410-539-5340
Community Law Center (Baltimore) 410-366-0922
Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS) 410-539-6800
Civil Justice (Baltimore) 410-706-0900

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for St. Mary's County, Maryland?

    St. Mary's County has a County Distress Index score of 40.8 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,143rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 18th in Maryland out of 24 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in St. Mary's County?

    The primary driver of distress in St. Mary's County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 69.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does St. Mary's County compare to neighboring counties?

    St. Mary's County (40.8) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Somerset County, MD (73.8); Dorchester County, MD (69.5); Westmoreland County, VA (66.7).

  • 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). St. Mary's County's score of 40.8 sits in the Normal zone (46–55).

  • What data sources power St. Mary's County's CDI score?

    St. Mary's 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 St. Mary's County?

    St. Mary's County, Maryland has a population of approximately 115,281 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.