Indicators reflecting economic status include real estate price trends, bankruptcies and regional credit scores.
Mortgage insurer The PMI Group Inc. of Walnut Creek, Calif., produces a chart of 379 housing markets and rates the risk of a decline in housing prices over the next two years. A score of 500 means there’s a 50 percent chance of a price decline; a score of 400, a 40 percent chance, and so on.
The current risk measure is:
. 58 for Bangor, Maine.
. 63 for Burlington-South Burlington, Vt.
. 64 for Lewiston-Auburn, Maine.
. 172 for Portland-South Portland-Biddeford, Maine.
. 274 for Manchester-Nashua, N.H.
. 279 for Rockingham Country-Strafford County, N.H.
The American Bankruptcy Institute tracks annual business and individual bankruptcy filings.
Filings in 2004 were:
. Maine: 4,508 total; 138 business, 4,370 individual.
. New Hampshire: 4,651 total; 158 business, 4,493 individual.
. Vermont: 1,698 total; 85 business, 1,613 individual.
Credit reporting agency Experian keeps track of a region’s credit score, including average debt owed by an individual. The national credit score is 678 on a scale of 330 to 830, with the higher score representing a lower credit risk. The national average individual debt is $11,497.
The score and debt level in:
. Maine: 702 credit score, $14,641 average individual debt.
. New Hampshire: 706 credit score, $17,021 average individual debt.
. Vermont: 704 credit score, $13,164 average individual debt.
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