Clayton County, Georgia
More than double the national median for subprime credit share.
Main Findings
Clayton County, Georgia ranks 48th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 52% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) — more than double the national median of 23%. Its highest-scoring domain is Delinquency.
- 48th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 85.1 · very high county distress, 5th in Georgia.
- 52% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) (U.S. median 23%). Subprime credit share at the 100th percentile nationally. Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025).
- Debt in collections at 48% — national median 23%, ranked at the 99th percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Rent-to-income ratio at 38% — national median 21%, ranked at the 99th percentile. Source: HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
- Uninsured rate at 18% — national median 8%, ranked at the 94th percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023).
Unemployment is 4%, near the national median of 4%, while subprime credit share runs at the 100th percentile. Jobs exist; wages don't close the gap.
Neighbors span three CDI score labels. The 36-point drop to Fayette County marks where the Atlanta metro distress corridor ends.
"Clayton County has a very high county distress score. The domain table shows which local pressure carries the composite."
"The CDI gives this county a very high county distress label. The five-domain profile shows which local pressures carry the score. Its highest-scoring domain is Delinquency."
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023), Clayton County's disability rate indicator is at the 11th percentile. American Default Research's CDI places every other indicator in the Safety Net & Buffer domain at or above the 65th percentile. The gap stands out against uninsured rate. Worth a call to the source agency or a local subject-matter contact in Jonesboro.
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 Clayton County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Clayton County's value shown alongside GA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Clayton | GA median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 99 · Rank 5 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 13% | 8% | 5% | 98th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 15% | 8% | 5% | 100th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 52% | 36% | 23% | 100th | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 99 · Rank 2 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 48% | 36% | 23% | 99th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 487 | 255 | 126 | 98th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 98 · Rank 7 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 38% | 24% | 21% | 99th | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 29% | 19% | 18% | 97th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 64 · Rank 1,088 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 4% | 3% | 4% | 64th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 66 · Rank 959 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 27% | 26% | 18% | 84th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 11% | 16% | 16% | 11th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 17% | 18% | 14% | 75th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 18% | 13% | 8% | 94th | 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 Clayton County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 146-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
JONESBORO, Ga. — Clayton County ranks 48th 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 85.1 out of 100 gives Clayton a very high county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, only 47 rank more distressed. Within Georgia, Clayton ranks fifth 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 delinquency as the primary driver in Clayton. 52% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) — more than double the national median of 23%.
"Clayton County has a very high county distress score. The domain table shows which local pressure carries the composite," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Clayton County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Clayton County's distress score?
How does Clayton County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Clayton County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →