Jefferson County, Alabama

County Distress Index: Elevated · 54.5 | 662,895 people · 41st most distressed in Alabama
American Default Research

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Jefferson County, AL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 54.5 — 1244th 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 41st of 67 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Jefferson County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 84.3 — worse than roughly 84% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 84.3
Debt in Collections 82
Medical Debt 72
Student Loan Delinquency 82
Auto Loan Delinquency 94
Credit Card Delinquency 77
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 98
Housing Cost Burden 77.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 91
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 91
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 48
Homeownership Rate 87
Rent-to-Income Ratio 70
Community Vulnerability 52.5
Uninsured Rate 60
Disability Rate 45
Income & Poverty 49.8
Poverty Rate 68
Income vs. State Median 14
Child Poverty Rate 67
Employment & Wages 8.7
Unemployment Rate 4
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 15
Business Formation Rate 7

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Jefferson County
Jefferson County, AL 54.5 Elevated —
Bibb County, AL 66.0 Serious +11.4
Walker County, AL 58.2 Elevated +3.6
Tuscaloosa County, AL 55.5 Elevated +1.0
Blount County, AL 55.0 Elevated +0.5
St. Clair County, AL 41.1 Normal -13.5
Shelby County, AL 30.2 Healthy -24.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Jefferson County
St. Clair County, IL 54.6 Elevated +0.1
Lake County, IN 54.4 Elevated -0.2
Brevard County, FL 54.8 Elevated +0.2
Tulsa County, OK 54.9 Elevated +0.3
Guilford County, NC 54.2 Elevated -0.4

Download Data

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

Find Help in Jefferson County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Jefferson County.

BIRMINGHAM URBAN LEAGUE, INC.
Birmingham
205-326-0162
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingHomeless/Displacement
HISPANIC INTEREST COALITION OF ALABAMA
Birmingham
205-942-5505 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingFair Housing
NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES OF BIRMINGHAM, INC.
Birmingham
205-328-4292 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingPre-Purchase
NSC (NACA COUNSELING SUBSIDIARY) - BIRMINGHAM, AL
Birmingham
205-942-8111 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingFair HousingPost-Purchase
OPERATION HOPE- BIRMINGHAM AL
Birmingham
205-478-0557 Website
Mortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial CounselingPre-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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson County, Alabama?

    Jefferson County has a County Distress Index score of 54.5 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,244th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 41st in Alabama out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Jefferson County?

    The primary driver of distress in Jefferson County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 84.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Jefferson County compare to neighboring counties?

    Jefferson County (54.5) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Bibb County, AL (66.0); Walker County, AL (58.2); Tuscaloosa County, AL (55.5).

  • 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 Jefferson County?

    Jefferson County, Alabama has a population of approximately 662,895 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.