Barrow County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Elevated · 54.0 | 92,792 people · 119th most distressed in Georgia
American Default Research

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Barrow County, GA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 54.0 — 1293rd nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Georgia, it ranks 119th of 159 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Barrow County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 73.1 — above the national median.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 73.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 82
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 78
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 89
Homeownership Rate 21
Rent-to-Income Ratio 96
Debt & Delinquency 72.6
Debt in Collections 72
Medical Debt 79
Student Loan Delinquency 67
Auto Loan Delinquency 47
Credit Card Delinquency 81
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 90
Community Vulnerability 58.8
Uninsured Rate 89
Disability Rate 28
Employment & Wages 39.2
Unemployment Rate 13
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 97
Business Formation Rate 8
Income & Poverty 26.1
Poverty Rate 31
Income vs. State Median 10
Child Poverty Rate 38

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Barrow County
Barrow County, GA 54.0 Elevated —
Clarke County, GA 64.6 Elevated +10.7
Walton County, GA 52.9 Elevated -1.1
Gwinnett County, GA 52.8 Elevated -1.2
Hall County, GA 49.3 Normal -4.7
Jackson County, GA 39.3 Normal -14.7
Oconee County, GA 18.3 Healthy -35.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Barrow County
Vanderburgh County, IN 54.0 Elevated +0.0
Blair County, PA 54.0 Elevated +0.0
Lea County, NM 53.9 Elevated -0.0
Coffee County, TN 54.0 Elevated +0.0
Yavapai County, AZ 54.0 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Barrow 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 Barrow 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 Barrow County, Georgia?

    Barrow County has a County Distress Index score of 54.0 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,293rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 119th in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Barrow County?

    The primary driver of distress in Barrow County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 73.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Barrow County compare to neighboring counties?

    Barrow County (54.0) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Clarke County, GA (64.6); Walton County, GA (52.9); Gwinnett County, GA (52.8).

  • 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 Barrow County?

    Barrow County, Georgia has a population of approximately 92,792 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.