Heard County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Serious · 68.9 | 12,034 people · 39th most distressed in Georgia
American Default Research

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Heard County, GA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 68.9 — 258th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where uninsured and disability rates are well above the national average. Within Georgia, it ranks 39th of 159 counties. It scores higher than all 4 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Heard County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 90.8 — worse than roughly 91% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 90.8
Uninsured Rate 87
Disability Rate 95
Debt & Delinquency 74.9
Debt in Collections 71
Medical Debt 83
Student Loan Delinquency 85
Auto Loan Delinquency 28
Credit Card Delinquency 92
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 90
Housing Cost Burden 66.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 55
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 43
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 75
Homeownership Rate 62
Rent-to-Income Ratio 95
Income & Poverty 61.9
Poverty Rate 70
Income vs. State Median 38
Child Poverty Rate 77
Employment & Wages 51.1
Unemployment Rate 23
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 92
Business Formation Rate 39

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Heard County compares to its 4 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Heard County
Heard County, GA 68.9 Serious —
Troup County, GA 66.3 Serious -2.6
Carroll County, GA 61.3 Elevated -7.6
Randolph County, AL 52.9 Elevated -16.1
Coweta County, GA 42.8 Normal -26.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Heard County
Adams County, OH 68.9 Serious -0.0
Glades County, FL 68.9 Serious -0.0
Nolan County, TX 68.9 Serious -0.1
Jackson County, KY 69.0 Serious +0.1
Socorro County, NM 68.8 Serious -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Heard 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 Heard 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 Heard County, Georgia?

    Heard County has a County Distress Index score of 68.9 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 258th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 39th in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Heard County?

    The primary driver of distress in Heard County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 90.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Heard County compare to neighboring counties?

    Heard County (68.9) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Troup County, GA (66.3); Carroll County, GA (61.3); Randolph County, AL (52.9).

  • 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 Heard County?

    Heard County, Georgia has a population of approximately 12,034 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.