Cheshire County, New Hampshire

County Distress Index: Normal · 42.8 | 77,703 people · 4th most distressed in New Hampshire
American Default Research

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Cheshire County, NH falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 42.8 — 2024th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Economic Vitality, where wages are low relative to housing costs, business formation lags, and the local economy lacks dynamism. Within New Hampshire, it ranks 4th of 10 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 3 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five statistically derived factors of household financial distress, PCA-weighted. Cheshire County's primary driver is Economic Vitality at 83.8 — worse than roughly 84% of U.S. counties.

Economic Vitality Primary driver 83.8
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 96
Rent-to-Income Ratio 90
Business Formation Rate 63
House Price Change (YoY) 43
Housing Cost Burden 66.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 67
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 55
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 99
Homeownership Rate 69
Consumer Credit Distress 33.0
Debt in Collections 27
Medical Debt 31
Auto Loan Delinquency 43
Credit Card Delinquency 41
Uninsured Rate 28
Subprime Credit Population 27
Structural Poverty 27.7
Unemployment Rate 16
Poverty Rate 13
Income vs. State Median 52
Child Poverty Rate 14
Disability Rate 38
Transfer Income Dependency 23
Legal Distress 11.3
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 11

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

Neighbors and Peers

Neighboring Counties

CountyScoreZonevs. Cheshire County
Cheshire County, NH 42.8 Normal —
Sullivan County, NH 49.0 Normal +6.2
Worcester County, MA 48.9 Normal +6.0
Franklin County, MA 48.5 Normal +5.7
Hillsborough County, NH 41.6 Normal -1.2
Windham County, VT 37.0 Normal -5.9

Population Peers

CountyScoreZonevs. Cheshire County
Matanuska-Susitna Borough, AK 42.9 Normal +0.0
Wilson County, TN 42.9 Normal +0.1
Clay County, MN 43.0 Normal +0.1
Stafford County, VA 43.0 Normal +0.2
Pennington County, SD 42.7 Normal -0.2

Download Data

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

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Legal aid organizations serving Cheshire County residents at no cost.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Cheshire County, New Hampshire?

    Cheshire County has a County Distress Index score of 42.8 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,024th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 4th in New Hampshire out of 10 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Cheshire County?

    The primary driver of distress in Cheshire County is Economic Vitality, where the county scores 83.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Rent-to-Income Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Cheshire County compare to neighboring counties?

    Cheshire County (42.8) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Sullivan County, NH (49.0); Worcester County, MA (48.9); Franklin County, MA (48.5).

  • 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). Cheshire County's score of 42.8 sits in the Normal zone (46–55).

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

    Cheshire 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 Cheshire County?

    Cheshire County, New Hampshire has a population of approximately 77,703 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.