Cook County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Serious · 69.4 | 17,714 people · 38th most distressed in Georgia
American Default Research

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Cook County, GA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 69.4 — 241st 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 38th of 159 counties. Among its 5 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Cook County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 90.6 — worse than roughly 91% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 90.6
Debt in Collections 94
Medical Debt 95
Student Loan Delinquency 87
Auto Loan Delinquency 92
Credit Card Delinquency 81
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 95
Income & Poverty 81.6
Poverty Rate 85
Income vs. State Median 71
Child Poverty Rate 89
Community Vulnerability 73.0
Uninsured Rate 94
Disability Rate 52
Housing Cost Burden 64.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 81
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 72
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 16
Homeownership Rate 86
Rent-to-Income Ratio 69
Employment & Wages 37.1
Unemployment Rate 30
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 66
Business Formation Rate 15

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Cook County
Cook County, GA 69.4 Serious —
Brooks County, GA 74.0 Serious +4.6
Colquitt County, GA 68.1 Serious -1.3
Lowndes County, GA 67.7 Serious -1.7
Berrien County, GA 65.4 Serious -4.0
Tift County, GA 58.5 Elevated -10.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Cook County
Terry County, TX 69.3 Serious -0.0
Fulton County, AR 69.4 Serious +0.0
Palo Pinto County, TX 69.3 Serious -0.0
Hamilton County, FL 69.3 Serious -0.1
Harlan County, KY 69.3 Serious -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Cook 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 Cook 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 Cook County, Georgia?

    Cook County has a County Distress Index score of 69.4 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 241st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 38th in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Cook County?

    The primary driver of distress in Cook County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 90.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Cook County compare to neighboring counties?

    Cook County (69.4) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Brooks County, GA (74.0); Colquitt County, GA (68.1); Lowndes County, GA (67.7).

  • 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 Cook County?

    Cook County, Georgia has a population of approximately 17,714 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.