Georgia County Distress Index
Financial distress scores for all 159 counties in Georgia, scored 0–100 across five domains. Mean score: 68.5. 107counties are in Serious or Crisis.
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-26
Georgia Snapshot
159 Counties Scored
68.5 Mean Score
69.4 Median Score
89.1 Richmond County Most Distressed
18.5 Oconee County Least Distressed
21 Crisis 86 Serious 42 Elevated 8 Normal 2 Healthy
Zone Distribution Georgia County Map
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Healthy Normal Elevated Serious Crisis
All 159 Georgia counties colored by distress zone. Hover for details; click released counties for full reports.
Most & Least Distressed
Most Distressed
Least Distressed
Score Distribution
How Georgia's 159 county scores are distributed across the 0–100 scale.
All Georgia Counties
159 counties ranked by distress score. Click column headers to sort.
| State Rank | Nat'l Rank | County | Score | Zone | Primary Driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Richmond County | 89.1 | Crisis | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 2 | 3 | Bibb County | 88.5 | Crisis | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 3 | 5 | Clayton County | 87.8 | Crisis | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 4 | 6 | Mitchell County | 87.4 | Crisis | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 5 | 8 | Dougherty County | 87.1 | Crisis | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 6 | 14 | Hancock County | 85.7 | Crisis | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 7 | 16 | Baldwin County | 85.1 | Crisis | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 8 | 18 | Spalding County | 84.9 | Crisis | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 9 | 22 | Randolph County | 84.6 | Crisis | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 10 | 24 | Rockdale County | 84.2 | Crisis | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 11 | 29 | Ware County | 83.2 | Crisis | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 12 | 31 | Crisp County | 82.9 | Crisis | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 13 | 37 | Newton County | 82.4 | Crisis | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 14 | 38 | Charlton County | 82.4 | Crisis | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 15 | 39 | Troup County | 82.3 | Crisis | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 16 | 42 | Muscogee County | 82.0 | Crisis | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 17 | 48 | McDuffie County | 81.4 | Crisis | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 18 | 53 | Brooks County | 80.9 | Crisis | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 19 | 54 | Cook County | 80.5 | Crisis | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 20 | 55 | Grady County | 80.4 | Crisis | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 21 | 60 | Polk County | 80.1 | Crisis | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 22 | 62 | Sumter County | 79.9 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 23 | 63 | Taylor County | 79.8 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 24 | 73 | Lowndes County | 79.5 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 25 | 74 | Upson County | 79.5 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 26 | 82 | Washington County | 79.0 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 27 | 84 | Chatham County | 78.9 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 28 | 86 | Liberty County | 78.8 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 29 | 90 | Lanier County | 78.6 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 30 | 94 | Decatur County | 78.5 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 31 | 98 | Burke County | 78.2 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 32 | 100 | Henry County | 78.1 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 33 | 105 | Early County | 78.0 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 34 | 110 | Douglas County | 77.7 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 35 | 115 | Butts County | 77.5 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 36 | 120 | Ben Hill County | 77.3 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 37 | 122 | Telfair County | 77.2 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 38 | 133 | Floyd County | 76.9 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 39 | 135 | Carroll County | 76.8 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 40 | 140 | Worth County | 76.6 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 41 | 157 | Meriwether County | 75.9 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 42 | 165 | DeKalb County | 75.5 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 43 | 166 | Pulaski County | 75.5 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 44 | 171 | Terrell County | 75.4 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 45 | 176 | Thomas County | 75.3 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 46 | 179 | Peach County | 75.3 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 47 | 202 | Elbert County | 74.6 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 48 | 206 | Laurens County | 74.5 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 49 | 207 | Jefferson County | 74.5 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 50 | 209 | Talbot County | 74.4 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 51 | 215 | Atkinson County | 74.2 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 52 | 216 | Wayne County | 74.2 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 53 | 219 | Bulloch County | 74.2 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 54 | 227 | McIntosh County | 73.9 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 55 | 231 | Dodge County | 73.8 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 56 | 249 | Clarke County | 73.3 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 57 | 252 | Miller County | 73.3 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 58 | 254 | Stephens County | 73.3 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 59 | 255 | Walker County | 73.3 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 60 | 258 | Chattooga County | 73.3 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 61 | 261 | Macon County | 73.2 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 62 | 263 | Long County | 73.1 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 63 | 273 | Wilkinson County | 72.8 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 64 | 281 | Jenkins County | 72.6 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 65 | 287 | Evans County | 72.5 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 66 | 299 | Candler County | 72.3 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 67 | 320 | Turner County | 71.9 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 68 | 322 | Marion County | 71.8 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 69 | 323 | Colquitt County | 71.8 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 70 | 327 | Calhoun County | 71.6 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 71 | 334 | Bleckley County | 71.4 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 72 | 343 | Coffee County | 71.1 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 73 | 363 | Screven County | 70.6 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 74 | 375 | Taliaferro County | 70.3 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 75 | 383 | Tift County | 70.1 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 76 | 390 | Quitman County | 70.0 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 77 | 410 | Clay County | 69.7 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 78 | 414 | Toombs County | 69.5 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 79 | 415 | Emanuel County | 69.5 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 80 | 419 | Treutlen County | 69.4 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 81 | 423 | Heard County | 69.4 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 82 | 426 | Baker County | 69.3 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 83 | 453 | Irwin County | 68.6 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 84 | 455 | Houston County | 68.5 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 85 | 459 | Clinch County | 68.5 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 86 | 467 | Gwinnett County | 68.3 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 87 | 472 | Walton County | 68.3 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 88 | 483 | Camden County | 68.1 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 89 | 488 | Barrow County | 68.0 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 90 | 498 | Bacon County | 67.9 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 91 | 509 | Fulton County | 67.7 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 92 | 513 | Crawford County | 67.7 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 93 | 517 | Warren County | 67.6 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 94 | 518 | Berrien County | 67.6 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 95 | 520 | Twiggs County | 67.5 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 96 | 527 | Wilcox County | 67.3 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 97 | 528 | Murray County | 67.3 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 98 | 535 | Seminole County | 67.2 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 99 | 536 | Bartow County | 67.2 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 100 | 543 | Glynn County | 67.1 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 101 | 556 | Brantley County | 66.9 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 102 | 557 | Stewart County | 66.9 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 103 | 568 | Wilkes County | 66.7 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 104 | 570 | Wheeler County | 66.7 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 105 | 593 | Echols County | 66.2 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 106 | 595 | Tattnall County | 66.1 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 107 | 638 | Putnam County | 65.1 | Serious | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 108 | 646 | Haralson County | 64.9 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 109 | 665 | Pierce County | 64.6 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 110 | 686 | Dooly County | 64.3 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 111 | 698 | Whitfield County | 64.1 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 112 | 706 | Franklin County | 64.0 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 113 | 729 | Jeff Davis County | 63.6 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 114 | 745 | Lincoln County | 63.4 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 115 | 746 | Lee County | 63.4 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 116 | 760 | Jasper County | 63.2 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 117 | 762 | Paulding County | 63.2 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 118 | 774 | Lamar County | 63.0 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 119 | 783 | Hall County | 62.8 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 120 | 798 | Montgomery County | 62.5 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 121 | 807 | Gordon County | 62.3 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 122 | 811 | Jones County | 62.2 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 123 | 813 | Johnson County | 62.2 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 124 | 814 | Hart County | 62.2 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 125 | 819 | Appling County | 62.1 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 126 | 825 | Webster County | 62.0 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 127 | 845 | Madison County | 61.6 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 128 | 877 | Oglethorpe County | 61.1 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 129 | 895 | Cobb County | 60.8 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 130 | 916 | Glascock County | 60.6 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 131 | 1,023 | Catoosa County | 59.0 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 132 | 1,060 | Lumpkin County | 58.2 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 133 | 1,071 | Chattahoochee County | 58.1 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 134 | 1,086 | Pickens County | 57.8 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 135 | 1,103 | Schley County | 57.6 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 136 | 1,128 | Pike County | 57.5 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 137 | 1,217 | Bryan County | 55.8 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 138 | 1,235 | Habersham County | 55.5 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 139 | 1,242 | Effingham County | 55.5 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 140 | 1,260 | Coweta County | 55.1 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 141 | 1,263 | Monroe County | 55.1 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 142 | 1,265 | White County | 55.1 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 143 | 1,315 | Banks County | 54.4 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 144 | 1,361 | Dade County | 53.7 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 145 | 1,427 | Morgan County | 52.5 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 146 | 1,458 | Fayette County | 51.9 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 147 | 1,468 | Dawson County | 51.7 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 148 | 1,492 | Jackson County | 51.4 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 149 | 1,526 | Fannin County | 50.9 | Elevated | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 150 | 1,648 | Rabun County | 49.0 | Normal | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 151 | 1,710 | Towns County | 48.1 | Normal | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 152 | 1,722 | Greene County | 47.9 | Normal | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 153 | 1,728 | Columbia County | 47.8 | Normal | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 154 | 1,764 | Cherokee County | 47.2 | Normal | Housing Cost Burden |
| 155 | 1,814 | Gilmer County | 46.5 | Normal | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 156 | 1,965 | Harris County | 43.8 | Normal | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 157 | 2,190 | Union County | 40.0 | Normal | Consumer Credit Distress |
| 158 | 2,773 | Forsyth County | 29.7 | Healthy | Housing Cost Burden |
| 159 | 3,095 | Oconee County | 18.5 | Healthy | Consumer Credit Distress |
How County Scores Work
Each county is scored 0–100 using PCA-weighted percentile-rank scoring across five statistically derived dimensions: Consumer Credit Distress, Housing Cost Burden, Structural Poverty, Economic Vitality, and Legal Distress. A score of 50 means the county falls at the national median. Higher scores indicate greater household financial distress.
Crisis (≥80) — Among the most distressed counties in the country
Serious (65–80) — More distressed than roughly 80% of counties
Elevated (50–65) — More distressed than roughly half of counties
Normal (35–50) — Near the national median
Healthy (<35) — Less distressed than most counties