Colbert County, Alabama

County Distress Index: Elevated · 52.7 | 58,361 people · 47th most distressed in Alabama
American Default Research

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Colbert County, AL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 52.7 — 1398th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within Alabama, it ranks 47th of 67 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 4 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Colbert County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 75.8 — worse than roughly 76% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 75.8
Debt in Collections 73
Medical Debt 79
Student Loan Delinquency 64
Auto Loan Delinquency 78
Credit Card Delinquency 65
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 96
Community Vulnerability 56.0
Uninsured Rate 44
Disability Rate 68
Housing Cost Burden 52.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 56
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 62
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 28
Homeownership Rate 67
Rent-to-Income Ratio 47
Income & Poverty 51.8
Poverty Rate 64
Income vs. State Median 28
Child Poverty Rate 63
Employment & Wages 27.6
Unemployment Rate 10
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 11
Business Formation Rate 61

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Colbert County compares to its 4 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Colbert County
Colbert County, AL 52.7 Elevated —
Franklin County, AL 57.3 Elevated +4.6
Tishomingo County, MS 55.7 Elevated +3.0
Lauderdale County, AL 50.6 Elevated -2.0
Lawrence County, AL 49.2 Normal -3.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Colbert County
Monroe County, FL 52.7 Elevated -0.0
LaPorte County, IN 52.6 Elevated -0.0
Fulton County, NY 52.6 Elevated -0.0
Schuylkill County, PA 52.7 Elevated +0.0
Kershaw County, SC 52.7 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Colbert County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Colbert County.

COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY OF NORTHWEST ALABAMA - COLBERT COUNTY
SHEFFIELD
256-383-3832 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingPost-PurchasePre-Lease/Pre-Purchase

See all counselors in Alabama →

Find an Attorney

Alabama State Bar Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Alabama State Bar Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-392-5660

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Colbert County residents at no cost.

Legal Services Alabama 1-866-456-4995
Alabama State Bar Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-392-5660

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 Alabama →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Colbert County, Alabama?

    Colbert County has a County Distress Index score of 52.7 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,398th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 47th in Alabama out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Colbert County?

    The primary driver of distress in Colbert County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 75.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Colbert County compare to neighboring counties?

    Colbert County (52.7) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Franklin County, AL (57.3); Tishomingo County, MS (55.7); Lauderdale County, AL (50.6).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. 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.

  • What is the population of Colbert County?

    Colbert County, Alabama has a population of approximately 58,361 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.