Franklin County, Alabama

County Distress Index: Elevated · 57.3 | 31,802 people · 30th most distressed in Alabama
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Franklin County, AL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 57.3 — 1058th 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 30th of 67 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Franklin County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 83.6 — worse than roughly 84% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 83.6
Poverty Rate 92
Income vs. State Median 64
Child Poverty Rate 95
Debt & Delinquency 72.0
Debt in Collections 75
Medical Debt 91
Student Loan Delinquency 47
Auto Loan Delinquency 68
Credit Card Delinquency 67
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 84
Community Vulnerability 70.0
Uninsured Rate 76
Disability Rate 64
Employment & Wages 34.4
Unemployment Rate 3
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 6
Business Formation Rate 94
Housing Cost Burden 26.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 17
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 22
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 4
Homeownership Rate 63
Rent-to-Income Ratio 26

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Franklin County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Franklin County
Franklin County, AL 57.3 Elevated —
Marion County, AL 60.7 Elevated +3.4
Tishomingo County, MS 55.7 Elevated -1.6
Winston County, AL 54.3 Elevated -3.0
Colbert County, AL 52.7 Elevated -4.6
Lawrence County, AL 49.2 Normal -8.1
Itawamba County, MS 39.5 Normal -17.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Franklin County
Perry County, OH 57.3 Elevated -0.0
Greenbrier County, WV 57.3 Elevated -0.0
Audrain County, MO 57.3 Elevated -0.0
Bath County, KY 57.2 Elevated -0.0
Deaf Smith County, TX 57.2 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Franklin County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Franklin County.

COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY OF NORTHWEST ALABAMA - FRANKLIN COUNTY
Russellville
256-332-7534 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 Franklin 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Franklin County has a County Distress Index score of 57.3 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,058th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 30th in Alabama out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Franklin County?

    The primary driver of distress in Franklin County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 83.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Franklin County compare to neighboring counties?

    Franklin County (57.3) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Marion County, AL (60.7); Tishomingo County, MS (55.7); Winston County, AL (54.3).

  • 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 Franklin County?

    Franklin County, Alabama has a population of approximately 31,802 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.