County Data

Massachusetts County Distress Index

Financial distress scores for all 14 counties in Massachusetts, scored 0–100 across five domains. Mean score: 44.2. 1county is in Serious or Crisis.

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

Massachusetts Snapshot

14 Counties Scored
44.2 Mean Score
45.7 Median Score
66.5 Hampden County Most Distressed
29.3 Dukes County Least Distressed
1 Serious 2 Elevated 8 Normal 3 Healthy
Zone Distribution

Massachusetts County Map

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Healthy Normal Elevated Serious Crisis

All 14 Massachusetts counties colored by distress zone. Hover for details; click released counties for full reports.

Most & Least Distressed

Most Distressed

#1 Hampden County
66.5 Serious
Housing Cost Burden
#2 Bristol County
55.8 Elevated
Housing Cost Burden
#3 Suffolk County
50.5 Elevated
Housing Cost Burden

Least Distressed

#14 Dukes County
29.3 Healthy
Economic Vitality
#13 Nantucket County
32.3 Healthy
Economic Vitality
#12 Middlesex County
32.5 Healthy
Housing Cost Burden

Score Distribution

How Massachusetts's 14 county scores are distributed across the 0–100 scale.

All Massachusetts Counties

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

State Rank Nat'l Rank County Score Zone Primary Driver
1 579 Hampden County 66.5 Serious Housing Cost Burden
2 1,212 Bristol County 55.8 Elevated Housing Cost Burden
3 1,541 Suffolk County 50.5 Elevated Housing Cost Burden
4 1,597 Berkshire County 49.6 Normal Housing Cost Burden
5 1,653 Worcester County 48.9 Normal Housing Cost Burden
6 1,677 Franklin County 48.5 Normal Housing Cost Burden
7 1,712 Essex County 48.0 Normal Housing Cost Burden
8 1,993 Plymouth County 43.4 Normal Economic Vitality
9 2,245 Hampshire County 39.1 Normal Economic Vitality
10 2,247 Barnstable County 39.1 Normal Economic Vitality
11 2,461 Norfolk County 35.3 Normal Housing Cost Burden
12 2,623 Middlesex County 32.5 Healthy Housing Cost Burden
13 2,631 Nantucket County 32.3 Healthy Economic Vitality
14 2,791 Dukes County 29.3 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

Massachusetts Resources

Massachusetts State Profile

State ADI score: 45.0 (Normal). Debt, delinquency, and economic indicators for Massachusetts.

Find Help in Massachusetts

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

Massachusetts Foreclosure Laws

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

State Distress Rankings

All 51 U.S. jurisdictions ranked by financial distress. Compare Massachusetts 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.