DeKalb County, Alabama

County Distress Index: Elevated · 56.1 | 72,569 people · 34th most distressed in Alabama
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DeKalb County, AL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 56.1 — 1135th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Alabama, it ranks 34th of 67 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. DeKalb County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 79.4 — worse than roughly 79% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 79.4
Poverty Rate 90
Income vs. State Median 60
Child Poverty Rate 88
Debt & Delinquency 70.8
Debt in Collections 72
Medical Debt 83
Student Loan Delinquency 68
Auto Loan Delinquency 79
Credit Card Delinquency 53
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 71
Community Vulnerability 69.2
Uninsured Rate 88
Disability Rate 50
Employment & Wages 31.6
Unemployment Rate 1
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 4
Business Formation Rate 89
Housing Cost Burden 29.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 29
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 27
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 31
Homeownership Rate 37
Rent-to-Income Ratio 22

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

Neighbors and Peers

How DeKalb County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. DeKalb County
DeKalb County, AL 56.1 Elevated —
Chattooga County, GA 72.2 Serious +16.1
Walker County, GA 70.1 Serious +14.0
Etowah County, AL 63.5 Elevated +7.4
Jackson County, AL 55.1 Elevated -1.0
Dade County, GA 54.7 Elevated -1.4
Cherokee County, AL 50.5 Elevated -5.6
Marshall County, AL 48.8 Normal -7.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. DeKalb County
Harrisonburg city, VA 56.1 Elevated +0.0
Ector County, TX 56.1 Elevated -0.0
Charlotte County, FL 56.2 Elevated +0.1
Bedford County, TN 56.2 Elevated +0.1
St. Lawrence County, NY 56.0 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in DeKalb County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near DeKalb County.

COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY OF NORTHEAST ALABAMA, INC.
Rainsville
256-638-4430
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingHomeless/Displacement

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 DeKalb 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 DeKalb County, Alabama?

    DeKalb County has a County Distress Index score of 56.1 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,135th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 34th in Alabama out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in DeKalb County?

    The primary driver of distress in DeKalb County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 79.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does DeKalb County compare to neighboring counties?

    DeKalb County (56.1) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Chattooga County, GA (72.2); Walker County, GA (70.1); Etowah County, AL (63.5).

  • 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 DeKalb County?

    DeKalb County, Alabama has a population of approximately 72,569 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.