Effingham County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Normal · 41.9 | 71,541 people · 150th most distressed in Georgia
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Effingham County, GA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 41.9 — 2219th 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 150th of 159 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Effingham County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 77.0 — worse than roughly 77% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 77.0
Debt in Collections 71
Medical Debt 86
Student Loan Delinquency 88
Auto Loan Delinquency 59
Credit Card Delinquency 75
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 83
Housing Cost Burden 45.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 17
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 29
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 83
Homeownership Rate 26
Rent-to-Income Ratio 74
Employment & Wages 40.3
Unemployment Rate 10
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 94
Business Formation Rate 17
Community Vulnerability 38.1
Uninsured Rate 62
Disability Rate 14
Income & Poverty 8.5
Poverty Rate 10
Income vs. State Median 4
Child Poverty Rate 12

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Effingham County
Effingham County, GA 41.9 Normal —
Hampton County, SC 70.9 Serious +29.0
Bulloch County, GA 66.6 Serious +24.7
Screven County, GA 66.0 Serious +24.1
Chatham County, GA 65.5 Serious +23.7
Jasper County, SC 61.4 Elevated +19.5
Bryan County, GA 41.5 Normal -0.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Effingham County
Fairfield County, OH 41.9 Normal -0.0
Clermont County, OH 41.9 Normal +0.0
Leavenworth County, KS 41.8 Normal -0.1
Waupaca County, WI 42.0 Normal +0.1
Newport County, RI 42.0 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Effingham 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 Effingham 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 Effingham County, Georgia?

    Effingham County has a County Distress Index score of 41.9 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,219th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 150th in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Effingham County?

    The primary driver of distress in Effingham County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 77.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Effingham County compare to neighboring counties?

    Effingham County (41.9) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Hampton County, SC (70.9); Bulloch County, GA (66.6); Screven County, GA (66.0).

  • 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 Effingham County?

    Effingham County, Georgia has a population of approximately 71,541 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.