Marion County, Alabama

County Distress Index: Elevated · 60.7 | 29,244 people · 22nd most distressed in Alabama
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Marion County, AL registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 60.7 — 782nd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where uninsured and disability rates are well above the national average. Within Alabama, it ranks 22nd of 67 counties. It scores higher than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Marion County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 82.1 — worse than roughly 82% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 82.1
Uninsured Rate 66
Disability Rate 98
Income & Poverty 75.8
Poverty Rate 82
Income vs. State Median 67
Child Poverty Rate 78
Debt & Delinquency 70.4
Debt in Collections 77
Medical Debt 52
Student Loan Delinquency 33
Auto Loan Delinquency 71
Credit Card Delinquency 96
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 94
Housing Cost Burden 42.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 57
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 20
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 61
Homeownership Rate 46
Rent-to-Income Ratio 29
Employment & Wages 32.8
Unemployment Rate 6
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 6
Business Formation Rate 86

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Marion County
Marion County, AL 60.7 Elevated —
Walker County, AL 58.2 Elevated -2.5
Franklin County, AL 57.3 Elevated -3.4
Fayette County, AL 56.7 Elevated -4.0
Lamar County, AL 55.8 Elevated -4.9
Winston County, AL 54.3 Elevated -6.4
Monroe County, MS 51.4 Elevated -9.3
Itawamba County, MS 39.5 Normal -21.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Marion County
Adams County, WA 60.7 Elevated 0.0
Sabine County, TX 60.7 Elevated -0.0
Seneca County, NY 60.6 Elevated -0.0
Jackson Parish, LA 60.7 Elevated +0.0
Escambia County, AL 60.8 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Marion County

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 Marion 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 →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Marion County has a County Distress Index score of 60.7 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 782nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 22nd in Alabama out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Marion County?

    The primary driver of distress in Marion County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 82.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Marion County compare to neighboring counties?

    Marion County (60.7) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Walker County, AL (58.2); Franklin County, AL (57.3); Fayette County, AL (56.7).

  • 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 Marion County?

    Marion County, Alabama has a population of approximately 29,244 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.