Washington County, Alabama

County Distress Index: Normal · 44.3 | 15,022 people · 60th most distressed in Alabama
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Washington County, AL falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 44.3 — 2055th 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 60th of 67 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Washington County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 83.0 — worse than roughly 83% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 83.0
Debt in Collections 78
Medical Debt 88
Student Loan Delinquency 78
Auto Loan Delinquency 83
Credit Card Delinquency 77
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 95
Income & Poverty 64.4
Poverty Rate 81
Income vs. State Median 30
Child Poverty Rate 83
Community Vulnerability 42.2
Uninsured Rate 46
Disability Rate 38
Employment & Wages 18.3
Unemployment Rate 10
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 5
Business Formation Rate 39
Housing Cost Burden 13.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 5
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 6
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 6
Homeownership Rate 5
Rent-to-Income Ratio 46

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Washington County
Washington County, AL 44.3 Normal —
Wayne County, MS 69.2 Serious +24.9
Greene County, MS 62.8 Elevated +18.5
Choctaw County, AL 58.1 Elevated +13.9
Mobile County, AL 58.0 Elevated +13.8
Clarke County, AL 57.4 Elevated +13.1
Baldwin County, AL 41.0 Normal -3.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Washington County
Langlade County, WI 44.3 Normal +0.0
Texas County, OK 44.3 Normal +0.0
Carroll County, IL 44.3 Normal +0.1
Cass County, IL 44.3 Normal +0.1
Montrose County, CO 44.2 Normal -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Washington County

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Washington County has a County Distress Index score of 44.3 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,055th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 60th in Alabama out of 67 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Washington County?

    The primary driver of distress in Washington County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 83.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Washington County compare to neighboring counties?

    Washington County (44.3) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Wayne County, MS (69.2); Greene County, MS (62.8); Choctaw County, AL (58.1).

  • 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 Washington County?

    Washington County, Alabama has a population of approximately 15,022 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.