Middlesex County, Massachusetts

County Distress Index: Healthy · 32.5 | 1,623,952 people · 12th most distressed in Massachusetts
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Middlesex County stretches from Cambridge and Somerville through the Route 128 tech corridor to the exurbs west of Boston. The county scores 33.3 — Healthy, 2,741st nationally. Debt & Delinquency: 13.2. Income & Poverty: 6.3. Community Vulnerability: 2.7. By the numbers, this is one of the most financially resilient populations in the country. Bankruptcy filings sit at the 10.2nd percentile. Uninsured rate: 0.8th. Near-universal coverage. Housing Cost Burden scores 84.8. Owner cost burden registers at the 92.3rd percentile. Rent-to-income: 90.1st. The same structural pattern that appears in King County and Santa Clara appears here — high incomes consumed by high shelter costs. Employment & Wages scores 59.4, elevated primarily by the wage-to-rent ratio at the 79.1st percentile. For a county anchored by Harvard, MIT, and the biotech industry, the wages are strong. The housing market prices to match. Suffolk County (Boston proper) next door scores 49.0. Worcester County to the west: 48.6. Both sit in the Normal zone. Middlesex County's Healthy classification holds because the income and debt fundamentals are genuinely strong. But the housing burden number means that 1.6 million residents live in a county where financial health depends on continued employment in industries that concentrate here and almost nowhere else. The resilience is real. It is also fragile in a specific way.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Middlesex County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 79.7 — worse than roughly 80% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 79.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 78
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 73
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 92
Homeownership Rate 91
Economic Vitality 72.0
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 79
Rent-to-Income Ratio 90
Business Formation Rate 35
House Price Change (YoY) 52
Structural Poverty 12.4
Unemployment Rate 64
Poverty Rate 6
Income vs. State Median 9
Child Poverty Rate 4
Disability Rate 5
Transfer Income Dependency 1
Consumer Credit Distress 11.8
Debt in Collections 7
Medical Debt 24
Auto Loan Delinquency 15
Credit Card Delinquency 14
Uninsured Rate 1
Subprime Credit Population 8
Legal Distress 10.2
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 10

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Middlesex County
Middlesex County, MA 32.5 Healthy —
Suffolk County, MA 50.5 Elevated +18.1
Worcester County, MA 48.9 Normal +16.4
Essex County, MA 48.0 Normal +15.6
Hillsborough County, NH 41.6 Normal +9.2
Norfolk County, MA 35.3 Normal +2.8

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Middlesex County
King County, WA 31.4 Healthy -1.0
Fairfax County, VA 30.0 Healthy -2.4
Nassau County, NY 36.0 Normal +3.6
Santa Clara County, CA 27.6 Healthy -4.8
Hennepin County, MN 37.5 Normal +5.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Middlesex County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Middlesex County.

AMERICAN CONSUMER CREDIT COUNSELING
Auburndale
800-769-3571 Website
Reverse Mortgage
COMMUNITY SERVICE NETWORK, INC.
Stoneham
781-438-9254 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingPost-PurchasePre-Purchase
CREDIT CARD MGMT SVCS, INC D/B/A DEBTHELPER.COM
Woburn
561-472-8000 Website
Financial CounselingPre-PurchaseHomebuyer EducationRental Help
MERRIMACK VALLEY HOUSING PARTNERSHIP
Lowell
978-459-8490
Pre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education
SOMERVILLE COMMUNITY CORPORATION
Somerville
617-410-9905 Website
Financial CounselingPre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education

See all counselors in Massachusetts →

Find an Attorney

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

Massachusetts Bar Association — Lawyer Referral Service 617-654-0400 (Boston); 1-800-392-6164 (statewide)

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Middlesex County residents at no cost.

Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) 617-603-1700
Massachusetts Legal Aid (MLA) — Statewide Hotline 617-603-1700 (GBLS); see MassLegalHelp.org for regional offices
South Coastal Counties Legal Services (SCCLS) 508-979-7150 (New Bedford); 508-775-7020 (Hyannis)
Harvard Legal Aid Bureau 617-495-4408
Community Legal Aid, Inc. (508) 752-3718
Northeast Legal Aid, Inc. (978) 458-1465
Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association (617) 603-1700

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 Massachusetts →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Middlesex County, Massachusetts?

    Middlesex County has a County Distress Index score of 32.5 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 2,623rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 12th in Massachusetts out of 14 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Middlesex County?

    The primary driver of distress in Middlesex County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 79.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Middlesex County compare to neighboring counties?

    Middlesex County (32.5) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Suffolk County, MA (50.5); Worcester County, MA (48.9); Essex County, MA (48.0).

  • 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 Healthy 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). Middlesex County's score of 32.5 sits in the Healthy zone (below 46).

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

    Middlesex 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 Middlesex County?

    Middlesex County, Massachusetts has a population of approximately 1,623,952 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a metro county.