Burke County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Serious · 66.2 | 24,438 people · 70th most distressed in Georgia
American Default Research

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Burke County, GA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 66.2 — 424th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within Georgia, it ranks 70th of 159 counties. Among its 8 neighboring counties, 6 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Burke County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 90.0 — worse than roughly 90% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 90.0
Debt in Collections 96
Medical Debt 91
Student Loan Delinquency 99
Auto Loan Delinquency 95
Credit Card Delinquency 82
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 78
Income & Poverty 82.5
Poverty Rate 89
Income vs. State Median 66
Child Poverty Rate 92
Housing Cost Burden 67.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 76
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 88
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 22
Homeownership Rate 58
Rent-to-Income Ratio 94
Community Vulnerability 60.4
Uninsured Rate 74
Disability Rate 47
Employment & Wages 30.6
Unemployment Rate 67
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 6
Business Formation Rate 20

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Burke County compares to its 8 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Burke County
Burke County, GA 66.2 Serious —
Richmond County, GA 78.6 Serious +12.3
Barnwell County, SC 74.9 Serious +8.7
Emanuel County, GA 70.3 Serious +4.1
Jenkins County, GA 70.2 Serious +4.0
Allendale County, SC 68.6 Serious +2.4
Jefferson County, GA 67.7 Serious +1.5
Screven County, GA 66.0 Serious -0.3
Aiken County, SC 52.2 Elevated -14.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Burke County
Thomas County, GA 66.3 Serious +0.0
Greensville County, VA 66.3 Serious +0.0
Chickasaw County, MS 66.2 Serious -0.0
Hempstead County, AR 66.3 Serious +0.0
Butler County, AL 66.2 Serious -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Burke 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 Burke 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 Burke County, Georgia?

    Burke County has a County Distress Index score of 66.2 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 424th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 70th in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Burke County?

    The primary driver of distress in Burke County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 90.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Burke County compare to neighboring counties?

    Burke County (66.2) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Richmond County, GA (78.6); Barnwell County, SC (74.9); Emanuel County, GA (70.3).

  • 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 Burke County?

    Burke County, Georgia has a population of approximately 24,438 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.