Berrien County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Serious · 65.4 | 18,570 people · 74th most distressed in Georgia
American Default Research

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Berrien County, GA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 65.4 — 477th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where uninsured and disability rates are well above the national average. Within Georgia, it ranks 74th of 159 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Berrien County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 82.8 — worse than roughly 83% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 82.8
Uninsured Rate 95
Disability Rate 71
Debt & Delinquency 81.0
Debt in Collections 95
Medical Debt 95
Student Loan Delinquency 95
Auto Loan Delinquency 38
Credit Card Delinquency 69
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 95
Income & Poverty 79.1
Poverty Rate 81
Income vs. State Median 69
Child Poverty Rate 87
Housing Cost Burden 43.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 31
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 31
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 12
Homeownership Rate 74
Rent-to-Income Ratio 68
Employment & Wages 41.1
Unemployment Rate 13
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 71
Business Formation Rate 40

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Berrien County
Berrien County, GA 65.4 Serious —
Cook County, GA 69.4 Serious +4.0
Lanier County, GA 67.8 Serious +2.4
Lowndes County, GA 67.7 Serious +2.2
Atkinson County, GA 67.2 Serious +1.8
Coffee County, GA 66.5 Serious +1.1
Irwin County, GA 60.5 Elevated -4.9
Tift County, GA 58.5 Elevated -7.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Berrien County
Somerset County, MD 65.5 Serious +0.1
Leake County, MS 65.5 Serious +0.1
Mariposa County, CA 65.3 Serious -0.1
Franklin County, IL 65.6 Serious +0.2
Grenada County, MS 65.6 Serious +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Berrien 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 Berrien 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 Berrien County, Georgia?

    Berrien County has a County Distress Index score of 65.4 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 477th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 74th in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Berrien County?

    The primary driver of distress in Berrien County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 82.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Berrien County compare to neighboring counties?

    Berrien County (65.4) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Cook County, GA (69.4); Lanier County, GA (67.8); Lowndes County, GA (67.7).

  • 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 Berrien County?

    Berrien County, Georgia has a population of approximately 18,570 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.