Clarke County, Alabama
3× the national median for bankruptcy filing rate — and 49.1× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Glacier County, MT — 7).
Main Findings
Clarke County, Alabama ranks 437th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: a bankruptcy filing rate of 358 — more than double the national median of 126.
- 437th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Most distressed fifth, 17th in Alabama.
- A bankruptcy filing rate of 358 (U.S. median 126). Bankruptcy filing rate at the 94th percentile nationally.
- Subprime credit share at 40% — national median 23%, ranked at the 96th percentile.
- Child poverty rate at 29% — national median 18%, ranked at the 88th percentile.
- Unemployment at 4% — national median 4%, ranked at the 74th percentile.
Unemployment is 4%, near the national median of 4%, while subprime credit share runs at the 96th percentile. Jobs exist; wages don't close the gap.
Neighbors span three CDI distress fifths. The 47-point drop to Baldwin County marks where the Alabama distress corridor ends.
"Clarke County ranks in the most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The five-domain profile shows where local household pressure is most concentrated."
"The CDI places this county in the most distressed fifth nationally. The rank is the important geography signal: it compares the county with every other county-equivalent in the release."
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
29% of children under 18 in Clarke County live below the federal poverty line, versus 18% nationally. When a county's adult poverty rate is accompanied by a materially higher child poverty rate, the gap typically reflects single-parent household concentration or limited access to workforce-participation supports (childcare, transportation). Worth a call to the local school district's free-and-reduced-lunch coordinator or a regional United Way affiliate.
The Indicators Behind Clarke County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Clarke County's value shown alongside AL's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Clarke | AL median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 86 · Rank 354 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 8% | 8% | 5% | 85th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 7% | 7% | 5% | 76th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 40% | 33% | 23% | 96th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 87 · Rank 223 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 32% | 32% | 23% | 79th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 358 | 394 | 126 | 94th | US Courts F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 25 · Rank 2,603 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 19% | 19% | 21% | 25th | HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 14% | 18% | 18% | 25th | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 74 · Rank 787 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 4% | 3% | 4% | 74th | BLS LAUS (Dec 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 82 · Rank 352 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 29% | 25% | 18% | 88th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 20% | 20% | 16% | 81st | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 19% | 18% | 14% | 82nd | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers | 36% | 32% | 27% | 85th | BEA Regional Personal Income (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 8% | 9% | 8% | 51st | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
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 is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. 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 CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Business Formation Statistics), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2023 to 2025 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Clarke County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 148-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
GROVE HILL, Ala. — Clarke County ranks 437th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 71 out of 100 places Clarke in the most distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 436 counties rank more distressed. Within Alabama, Clarke ranks 17th of 67 counties.
The index, which draws on 16 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies default & legal as the primary driver in Clarke. A bankruptcy filing rate of 358 — more than double the national median of 126.
"Clarke County ranks in the most distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The five-domain profile shows where local household pressure is most concentrated," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Clarke County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Clarke County's distress score?
How does Clarke County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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