Columbia County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Normal · 37.3 | 165,162 people · 156th most distressed in Georgia
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Columbia County, GA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 37.3 — 2520th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where debt and delinquency levels sit above the national average. Within Georgia, it ranks 156th of 159 counties. It scores lower than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Columbia County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 53.5 — above the national median.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 53.5
Debt in Collections 46
Medical Debt 65
Student Loan Delinquency 51
Auto Loan Delinquency 53
Credit Card Delinquency 44
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 62
Community Vulnerability 44.7
Uninsured Rate 57
Disability Rate 32
Housing Cost Burden 43.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 67
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 59
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 60
Homeownership Rate 26
Rent-to-Income Ratio 5
Employment & Wages 41.8
Unemployment Rate 27
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 82
Business Formation Rate 17
Income & Poverty 3.1
Poverty Rate 3
Income vs. State Median 1
Child Poverty Rate 5

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Columbia County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Columbia County
Columbia County, GA 37.3 Normal —
Richmond County, GA 78.6 Serious +41.3
McDuffie County, GA 70.3 Serious +33.0
Lincoln County, GA 61.1 Elevated +23.8
Edgefield County, SC 59.1 Elevated +21.8
McCormick County, SC 51.4 Elevated +14.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Columbia County
Hancock County, OH 37.3 Normal -0.0
Kenton County, KY 37.4 Normal +0.1
Sangamon County, IL 37.4 Normal +0.1
Bartholomew County, IN 37.0 Normal -0.3
Campbell County, KY 37.6 Normal +0.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Columbia 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 Columbia 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 Columbia County, Georgia?

    Columbia County has a County Distress Index score of 37.3 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,520th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 156th in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Columbia County?

    The primary driver of distress in Columbia County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 53.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Columbia County compare to neighboring counties?

    Columbia County (37.3) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Richmond County, GA (78.6); McDuffie County, GA (70.3); Lincoln County, GA (61.1).

  • 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 Columbia County?

    Columbia County, Georgia has a population of approximately 165,162 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.