Decatur County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Serious · 70.7 | 29,087 people · 25th most distressed in Georgia
American Default Research

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Decatur County, GA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 70.7 — 178th 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 25th of 159 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 6 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Decatur County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 94.3 — worse than roughly 94% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 94.3
Debt in Collections 97
Medical Debt 98
Student Loan Delinquency 93
Auto Loan Delinquency 91
Credit Card Delinquency 94
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 92
Income & Poverty 84.1
Poverty Rate 91
Income vs. State Median 70
Child Poverty Rate 91
Community Vulnerability 72.8
Uninsured Rate 88
Disability Rate 58
Housing Cost Burden 65.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 30
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 59
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 79
Homeownership Rate 90
Rent-to-Income Ratio 68
Employment & Wages 37.2
Unemployment Rate 38
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 53
Business Formation Rate 21

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Decatur County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Decatur County
Decatur County, GA 70.7 Serious —
Gadsden County, FL 80.3 Crisis +9.5
Mitchell County, GA 79.6 Serious +8.9
Grady County, GA 71.0 Serious +0.3
Baker County, GA 68.5 Serious -2.3
Seminole County, GA 66.8 Serious -3.9
Miller County, GA 63.7 Elevated -7.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Decatur County
Okeechobee County, FL 70.7 Serious -0.0
Martin County, NC 70.8 Serious +0.1
Desha County, AR 70.8 Serious +0.1
Atoka County, OK 70.6 Serious -0.1
Greene County, NC 70.9 Serious +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Decatur 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 Decatur 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 Decatur County, Georgia?

    Decatur County has a County Distress Index score of 70.7 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 178th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 25th in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Decatur County?

    The primary driver of distress in Decatur County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 94.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Decatur County compare to neighboring counties?

    Decatur County (70.7) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Gadsden County, FL (80.3); Mitchell County, GA (79.6); Grady County, GA (71.0).

  • 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 Decatur County?

    Decatur County, Georgia has a population of approximately 29,087 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.