Worcester County, Massachusetts
Above the national median for rent-to-income ratio — and 2.5× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Loving County, TX — 10%).
Main Findings
Worcester County, Massachusetts is more distressed than 39% of U.S. counties on the County Distress Index. Worcester sits near the national median across major distress indicators. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis) and its lowest is Safety Net & Buffer.
- 5th of 14 counties in Massachusetts on the County Distress Index — 39 · low-moderate county distress, more distressed than 39% of U.S. counties.
- A rent-to-income ratio of 26% (U.S. median 21%). Rent-to-income ratio at the 86th percentile nationally. Source: HUD FMR (FY2027); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024).
- Unemployment (average of monthly rates) at 5% — national median 4%, ranked at the 71st percentile. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (monthly rates averaged, September 2025 to August 2026; no figures published for October 2025).
- Delinquency domain score 38 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
- Default & Legal domain score 32 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
Neighbors span five CDI score labels. The 63-point drop to Middlesex County marks where the Central Mass distress corridor ends.
Worcester County has a low-moderate county distress score. The CDI reading is a county comparison, separate from national ADI bands.
The CDI gives this county a low-moderate county distress label. The label comes from the score, while the rank compares the county with the current national cross-section. Its highest-scoring domain is Debt Burden (housing basis).
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Worcester County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Worcester County's value shown alongside MA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Worcester | MA median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 38 · Rank 1,969 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 4% | 4% | 5% | 31st | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 5% | 5% | 5% | 47th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 21% | 19% | 23% | 37th | Equifax data retrieved via FRED (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 32 · Rank 2,324 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 18% | 15% | 23% | 31st | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 94 | 72 | 126 | 33rd | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 83 · Rank 320 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 26% | 29% | 21% | 86th | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents (FY2027); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 24% | 25% | 18% | 81st | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Labor — domain score 52 · Rank 1,493 of 3,144 | |||||
| Adults 25-54 not working Share of adults aged 25 to 54 without a job, leaving out residents of prisons and other institutions (service members count as working) | 18% | 17% | 21% | 33rd | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Unemployment (average of monthly rates) Share of labor force unemployed, averaged over the monthly rates published for September 2025 to August 2026 (no figures published for October 2025) | 5% | 5% | 4% | 71st | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (monthly rates averaged, September 2025 to August 2026; no figures published for October 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 14 · Rank 2,931 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 11% | 11% | 17% | 16th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 13% | 13% | 16% | 25th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 10% | 9% | 13% | 19th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 2% | 2% | 8% | 1st | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index scores household financial distress from 0 to 100 for all 3,144 U.S. counties. A county's score is the share of U.S. counties it is more distressed than. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the five domains are averaged, and that average is ranked against every other county to give the score.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), Equifax data retrieved via FRED (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2024 to 2027 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Worcester County data.
Draft wire copy 122-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
WORCESTER, Mass. — Worcester County is more distressed than 39% of U.S. counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
Worcester scores 39 out of 100, which means it is more distressed than 39% of U.S. counties; its score label is low-moderate county distress. Within Massachusetts, Worcester ranks fifth of 14 counties.
The index, which draws on 14 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, finds Worcester sitting near the national median across major distress indicators, with no single domain emerging as a clear driver.
American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Worcester County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Worcester County's distress score?
How does Worcester County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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