#1,942 Georgia · 2026

Fannin County, Georgia

Second-least distressed fifth 1,942nd of 3,144 counties nationally · 25,955 residents How this is calculated →
The headline number
15% Fannin residents
vs.
8% U.S. median

Above the national median for uninsured rate.

Census ACS 5-yr (2023)

Main Findings

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Fannin County, Georgia ranks 1,942nd most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. Fannin sits near the national median across major distress indicators.

Key Findings
  • 1,942nd of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Second-least distressed fifth, 143rd in Georgia.
  • 15% of residents lack health insurance (U.S. median 8%). Uninsured rate at the 89th percentile nationally.
  • Bankruptcy filing rate at 216 — national median 126, ranked at the 79th percentile.
  • Auto loan delinquency at 6% — national median 5%, ranked at the 58th percentile.
  • Debt Burden (housing basis) domain score 23 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite.
Distinctive Signals
Boundary Signal

Neighbors span three CDI distress fifths. The 26-point drop to Union County marks where the Georgia distress corridor ends.

County Distress Index cluster map. Fannin County, Georgia and its neighbors colored by distress fifth.
Fannin and its 7 geographic neighbors, graded by County Distress Index score. Fannin County ranks 1,942nd of 3,144. American Default Research
Wire quote — paste-ready, any angle 21 words

"Fannin County ranks in the second-least distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The state rank and domain mix give the county-level context."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research
Analyst quote — for feature use 25 words

"The CDI places this county in the second-least distressed fifth nationally. The rank still belongs in context with state position and the highest-scoring local domain."

— Ross Kilburn, Founder, American Default Research

The Indicators Behind Fannin County's CDI Score

Every number traces to a public source. Fannin County's value shown alongside GA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.

How to read the table. A domain score is a 0–100 composite of the indicators in that domain, where 50 = U.S. county median and higher = more distressed. Percentile is Fannin County's national rank among all 3,144 U.S. counties for that indicator, always oriented so higher = more distressed.
Indicator Fannin GA median U.S. median Pctile Source
Delinquency — domain score 48 · Rank 1,638 of 3,144
Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due 6% 8% 5% 58th Urban Institute (2024)
Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due 6% 8% 5% 51st Urban Institute (2024)
Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 20% 36% 23% 35th Urban Institute (2024)
Default & Legal — domain score 66 · Rank 887 of 3,144
Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections 24% 36% 23% 53rd Urban Institute (2024)
Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents 216 255 126 79th US Courts F-5A (2025)
Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 23 · Rank 2,687 of 3,144
Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income 19% 24% 21% 33rd HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024)
Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent 10% 19% 18% 12th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Labor — domain score 15 · Rank 2,646 of 3,144
Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed 3% 3% 4% 15th BLS LAUS (Dec 2025)
Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 69 · Rank 838 of 3,144
Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line 23% 26% 18% 74th Census SAIPE (2023)
Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability 21% 16% 16% 84th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line 14% 18% 14% 53rd Census SAIPE (2023)
Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers 32% 30% 27% 73rd BEA Regional Personal Income (2023)
Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage 15% 13% 8% 89th Census ACS 5-yr (2023)
Data compiled April 2026 from Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax 2024 panel), U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-yr 2023, SAIPE 2023, Business Formation Statistics 2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (LAUS Dec 2025, QCEW 2024), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings 2025), and HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2024).

Five-Domain Breakdown

The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.

Safety Net & Buffer Primary driver 69
Weight 20% · Rank 838 of 3,144
Default & Legal 66
Weight 20% · Rank 887 of 3,144
Delinquency 48
Weight 20% · Rank 1,638 of 3,144
Debt Burden (housing basis) 23
Weight 20% · Rank 2,687 of 3,144
Labor 15
Weight 20% · Rank 2,646 of 3,144

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), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Business Formation Statistics), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2023 to 2025 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.

For Press & Research

Everything you need to cite Fannin County data — in under 60 seconds.

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Press contact: Ross Kilburn · press@americandefault.org · (307) 264-2992 · same-day response, 9am–6pm ET
Draft wire copy 142-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
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BLUE RIDGE, Ga. — Fannin County ranks 1,942nd 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 44 out of 100 places Fannin in the second-least distressed fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 1,941 counties rank more distressed. Within Georgia, Fannin ranks 143rd of 159 counties.

The index, which draws on 16 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, finds Fannin sitting near the national median across major distress indicators, with no single domain emerging as a clear driver.

"Fannin County ranks in the second-least distressed fifth of U.S. counties. The state rank and domain mix give the county-level context," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.

Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Fannin County's CDI score, and what does it mean?

Fannin County scores 44 out of 100 on the County Distress Index, placing it in the second-least distressed fifth. It ranks 1,942nd of 3,144 U.S. counties and 143rd of 159 Georgia counties. Higher county scores indicate more distress.

What drives Fannin County's distress score?

The highest-scoring domain is Safety Net & Buffer, at a domain score of 69. Uninsured rate ranks at the 89th percentile nationally.

How does Fannin County compare to its neighbors?

Fannin County's neighbors span three CDI distress fifths. Highest-distress neighbor: Polk County, TN (63.12, Second-most distressed fifth). Lowest: Union County (36.66, Second-least distressed fifth).

How is the County Distress Index calculated?

The CDI is a 0–100 composite of 16 source indicators across five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Data comes from Urban Institute, Census Bureau, BLS, U.S. Courts, HUD, and related public sources. Full methodology →
Ross Kilburn
Written by

Ross Kilburn, Founder

Founder · American Default Research · Seattle, Washington

Two decades working directly with financially distressed American households — from property preservation in 2003, to negotiating over 1,000 short sales during the Great Recession, to foreclosure defense marketing today. Author, The Ark Law Group Complete Guide to Short Sales (Auroch Press, 2013). Founded American Default Research in 2026.

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