Chatham County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Serious · 65.5 | 303,655 people · 73rd most distressed in Georgia
American Default Research

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Chatham County, GA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 65.5 — 472nd 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 73rd of 159 counties. Among its 4 neighboring counties, 3 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Chatham County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 90.8 — worse than roughly 91% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 90.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 88
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 88
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 89
Homeownership Rate 96
Rent-to-Income Ratio 93
Debt & Delinquency 87.9
Debt in Collections 85
Medical Debt 96
Student Loan Delinquency 89
Auto Loan Delinquency 88
Credit Card Delinquency 84
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 86
Community Vulnerability 64.5
Uninsured Rate 82
Disability Rate 47
Income & Poverty 47.6
Poverty Rate 63
Income vs. State Median 12
Child Poverty Rate 69
Employment & Wages 36.9
Unemployment Rate 19
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 87
Business Formation Rate 5

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Chatham County compares to its 4 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Chatham County
Chatham County, GA 65.5 Serious —
Liberty County, GA 67.5 Serious +1.9
Jasper County, SC 61.4 Elevated -4.2
Effingham County, GA 41.9 Normal -23.7
Bryan County, GA 41.5 Normal -24.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Chatham County
Shelby County, TN 65.5 Serious -0.0
Cumberland County, NC 65.7 Serious +0.2
Volusia County, FL 65.8 Serious +0.3
Passaic County, NJ 64.7 Elevated -0.8
Polk County, FL 66.5 Serious +0.9

Download Data

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

Find Help in Chatham County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Chatham County.

CCCS OF THE SAVANNAH AREA, INC.
Savannah
912-691-2227
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling
CREDIT.ORG - SAVANNAH, GA BRANCH
Savannah
912-303-7584 Website
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingPre-PurchaseHomebuyer Education

See all counselors in Georgia →

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 Chatham 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

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Georgia →

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Frequently Asked Questions

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

    Chatham County has a County Distress Index score of 65.5 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 472nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 73rd in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Chatham County?

    The primary driver of distress in Chatham County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 90.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Chatham County compare to neighboring counties?

    Chatham County (65.5) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Liberty County, GA (67.5); Jasper County, SC (61.4); Effingham County, GA (41.9).

  • 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 Chatham County?

    Chatham County, Georgia has a population of approximately 303,655 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a large county.