Elbert County, Georgia
More than double the national median for auto loan delinquency.
Main Findings
Elbert County, Georgia ranks 591st most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 10% of auto loan accounts are 60+ days past due — more than double the national median of 5%. Its highest-scoring domain is Delinquency.
- 591st of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 68.4 · moderate-high county distress, 74th in Georgia.
- 10% of auto loan accounts are 60+ days past due (U.S. median 5%). Auto loan delinquency at the 93rd percentile nationally. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
- Child poverty rate at 26% — national median 18%, ranked at the 84th percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
- Rent-to-income ratio at 26% — national median 21%, ranked at the 83rd percentile. Source: HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
- Debt in collections at 33% — national median 23%, ranked at the 81st percentile. Source: Urban Institute Debt in America (2025).
Unemployment is 3%, near the national median of 4%, while auto loan delinquency runs at the 93rd percentile. Jobs exist; wages don't close the gap.
Neighbors span two CDI score labels. The 18-point drop to McCormick County, SC marks a cross-border distress gradient.
"Elbert County has a moderate-high county distress score. The domain mix shows whether pressure is concentrated or spread across the profile."
"The CDI gives this county a moderate-high county distress label. The domain table shows whether the score comes from debt, labor, safety-net pressure, or a mix. Its highest-scoring domain is Delinquency."
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Elbert County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Elbert County's value shown alongside GA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Elbert | GA median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 89 · Rank 267 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 10% | 8% | 5% | 93rd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 8% | 8% | 5% | 83rd | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 36% | 36% | 23% | 90th | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 74 · Rank 607 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 33% | 36% | 23% | 81st | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 170 | 255 | 126 | 67th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 78 · Rank 473 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 26% | 24% | 21% | 83rd | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 22% | 19% | 18% | 73rd | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 22 · Rank 2,383 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 3% | 3% | 4% | 22nd | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 79 · Rank 403 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 26% | 26% | 18% | 84th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 19% | 16% | 16% | 76th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 18% | 18% | 14% | 78th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 11% | 13% | 8% | 73rd | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), FRED/Equifax (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2022 to 2026 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Elbert County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 148-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
ELBERTON, Ga. — Elbert County ranks 591st among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 68.4 out of 100 gives Elbert a moderate-high county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 590 counties rank more distressed. Within Georgia, Elbert ranks 74th of 159 counties.
The index, which draws on 13 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies delinquency as the primary driver in Elbert. 10% of auto loan accounts are 60+ days past due — more than double the national median of 5%.
"Elbert County has a moderate-high county distress score. The domain mix shows whether pressure is concentrated or spread across the profile," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Elbert County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
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How does Elbert County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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