Dougherty County, Georgia
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Dougherty County. Population: 82,645 (mid).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Dougherty County, GA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 79.0 — 10th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Georgia, it ranks 2nd of 159 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Dougherty County compares to all U.S. counties across five dimensions of financial distress. Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.
Income & Poverty
Primary DriverDebt & Delinquency
Housing Cost Burden
Community Vulnerability
Employment & Wages
How Dougherty County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dougherty County, GA | 79.0 | Serious Stress | — |
| Mitchell County, GA | 79.6 | Serious Stress | +0.6 |
| Terrell County, GA | 74.0 | Serious Stress | -5.0 |
| Worth County, GA | 71.1 | Serious Stress | -7.9 |
| Baker County, GA | 68.5 | Serious Stress | -10.5 |
| Calhoun County, GA | 67.8 | Serious Stress | -11.2 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (mid) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starr County, TX | 79.2 | Serious Stress | +0.1 |
| Richmond County, GA | 78.6 | Serious Stress | -0.5 |
| Robeson County, NC | 76.3 | Serious Stress | -2.7 |
| McKinley County, NM | 76.1 | Serious Stress | -2.9 |
| Bibb County, GA | 76.1 | Serious Stress | -3.0 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Dougherty County as a CSV file.
Resources
Dougherty County scores in the Serious Stress zone. If you or someone you know is experiencing financial hardship, free help is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for Dougherty County, Georgia?
Dougherty County has a County Distress Index score of 79.0 out of 100, placing it in the Serious Stress zone. It ranks 10th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 2nd in Georgia out of 159 counties.
What drives financial distress in Dougherty County?
The primary driver of distress in Dougherty County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 93.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.
How does Dougherty County compare to neighboring counties?
Dougherty County (79.0) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Mitchell County, GA (79.6); Terrell County, GA (74.0); Worth County, GA (71.1).
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 Dougherty County?
Dougherty County, Georgia has a population of approximately 82,645 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.