Charlton County, Georgia
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Charlton County. Population: 12,934 (small).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Charlton County, GA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 76.1 — 45th 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 6th of 159 counties. It scores higher than all 5 of its neighboring counties.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Charlton County compares to all U.S. counties across five dimensions of financial distress. Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.
Debt & Delinquency
Primary DriverCommunity Vulnerability
Income & Poverty
Housing Cost Burden
Employment & Wages
How Charlton County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlton County, GA | 76.1 | Serious Stress | — |
| Ware County, GA | 75.3 | Serious Stress | -0.9 |
| Brantley County, GA | 63.8 | Elevated | -12.3 |
| Baker County, FL | 56.5 | Elevated | -19.7 |
| Camden County, GA | 54.3 | Elevated | -21.9 |
| Nassau County, FL | 47.1 | Normal | -29.0 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (small) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vance County, NC | 76.1 | Serious Stress | 0.0 |
| DeSoto County, FL | 76.2 | Serious Stress | +0.0 |
| Uvalde County, TX | 76.2 | Serious Stress | +0.1 |
| Lauderdale County, TN | 76.4 | Serious Stress | +0.3 |
| Telfair County, GA | 75.8 | Serious Stress | -0.3 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Charlton County as a CSV file.
Resources
Charlton County scores in the Serious Stress zone. If you or someone you know is experiencing financial hardship, free help is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for Charlton County, Georgia?
Charlton County has a County Distress Index score of 76.1 out of 100, placing it in the Serious Stress zone. It ranks 45th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 6th in Georgia out of 159 counties.
What drives financial distress in Charlton County?
The primary driver of distress in Charlton 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 Charlton County compare to neighboring counties?
Charlton County (76.1) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Ware County, GA (75.3); Brantley County, GA (63.8); Baker County, FL (56.5).
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 Charlton County?
Charlton County, Georgia has a population of approximately 12,934 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.