Chattooga County, Georgia
Above the national median of residents with debt in collections — and 20.5× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Logan County, ND — 2%).
Main Findings
Chattooga County, Georgia ranks 517th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 39% of residents with a credit file carry debt in collections — above the national median of 23%. Its highest-scoring domain is Default & Legal.
- 517th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 69.5 · moderate-high county distress, 62nd in Georgia.
- 39% of residents with a credit file carry debt in collections (U.S. median 23%). Debt in collections at the 93rd percentile nationally. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Child poverty rate at 29% — national median 18%, ranked at the 89th percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
- Subprime credit share at 37% — national median 23%, ranked at the 92nd percentile. Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025).
- Unemployment at 4% — national median 4%, ranked at the 53rd percentile. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026).
Unemployment is 4%, near the national median of 4%, while subprime credit share runs at the 92nd percentile. Jobs exist; wages don't close the gap.
Chattooga County has a moderate-high county distress score. The domain mix shows whether pressure is concentrated or spread across the profile.
The CDI gives this county a moderate-high county distress label. The domain table shows whether the score comes from debt, labor, safety-net pressure, or a mix. Its highest-scoring domain is Default & Legal.
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023), 29% of children under 18 in Chattooga County live below the federal poverty line, versus 18% nationally. When a county's adult poverty rate is accompanied by a materially higher child poverty rate, the gap typically reflects single-parent household concentration or limited access to workforce-participation supports (childcare, transportation). Worth a call to the local school district's free-and-reduced-lunch coordinator or a regional United Way affiliate.
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Chattooga County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Chattooga County's value shown alongside GA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Chattooga | GA median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 70 · Rank 837 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 6% | 8% | 5% | 64th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 6% | 8% | 5% | 55th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 37% | 36% | 23% | 92nd | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 90 · Rank 148 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 39% | 36% | 23% | 93rd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 258 | 255 | 126 | 86th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 50 · Rank 1,532 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 23% | 24% | 21% | 66th | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 15% | 19% | 18% | 35th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 53 · Rank 1,407 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 4% | 3% | 4% | 53rd | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 84 · Rank 239 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 29% | 26% | 18% | 89th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 20% | 16% | 16% | 81st | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 21% | 18% | 14% | 88th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 12% | 13% | 8% | 78th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), FRED/Equifax (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2022 to 2026 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Chattooga County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 132-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
SUMMERVILLE, Ga. — Chattooga County ranks 517th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 69.5 out of 100 gives Chattooga a moderate-high county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 516 counties rank more distressed. Within Georgia, Chattooga ranks 62nd of 159 counties.
The index, which draws on 13 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies default & legal as the primary driver in Chattooga. 39% of residents with a credit file carry debt in collections — above the national median of 23%.
American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Chattooga County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Chattooga County's distress score?
How does Chattooga County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Chattooga County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →