Atkinson County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Serious · 67.2 | 8,293 people · 59th most distressed in Georgia
American Default Research

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Atkinson County, GA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 67.2 — 363rd 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 Georgia, it ranks 59th of 159 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 3 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Atkinson County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 91.7 — worse than roughly 92% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 91.7
Poverty Rate 91
Income vs. State Median 89
Child Poverty Rate 95
Debt & Delinquency 88.2
Debt in Collections 94
Medical Debt 95
Student Loan Delinquency 85
Auto Loan Delinquency 92
Credit Card Delinquency 68
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 95
Community Vulnerability 59.3
Uninsured Rate 95
Disability Rate 24
Housing Cost Burden 57.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 60
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 31
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 25
Homeownership Rate 85
Rent-to-Income Ratio 85
Employment & Wages 39.7
Unemployment Rate 34
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 36
Business Formation Rate 49

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Atkinson County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Atkinson County
Atkinson County, GA 67.2 Serious —
Ware County, GA 75.3 Serious +8.0
Lanier County, GA 67.8 Serious +0.6
Clinch County, GA 67.4 Serious +0.2
Coffee County, GA 66.5 Serious -0.7
Berrien County, GA 65.4 Serious -1.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Atkinson County
Twiggs County, GA 67.2 Serious 0.0
Haskell County, TX 67.3 Serious +0.0
Hudspeth County, TX 67.3 Serious +0.0
Owsley County, KY 67.2 Serious -0.0
Kinney County, TX 67.3 Serious +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Atkinson County

Find an Attorney

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

State Bar of Georgia Lawyer Referral Service 404-527-8700

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Atkinson County residents at no cost.

Atlanta Legal Aid Society 404-524-5811
Georgia Legal Services Program 1-888-257-4567
Georgia Legal Aid
State Bar of Georgia Lawyer Referral Service 404-527-8700

Self-Help Resources

Georgia Legal Aid — Housing Self-help guides for Georgia foreclosure process, rights, and defenses
DCA Georgia HAF Resources Assistance programs and housing counselor referrals

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Atkinson County, Georgia?

    Atkinson County has a County Distress Index score of 67.2 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 363rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 59th in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Atkinson County?

    The primary driver of distress in Atkinson County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 91.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Atkinson County compare to neighboring counties?

    Atkinson County (67.2) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Ware County, GA (75.3); Lanier County, GA (67.8); Clinch County, GA (67.4).

  • 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 Atkinson County?

    Atkinson County, Georgia has a population of approximately 8,293 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.