Houston County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Elevated · 52.8 | 171,974 people · 124th most distressed in Georgia
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Houston County, GA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 52.8 — 1385th 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 124th of 159 counties. It scores lower than all 8 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Houston County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 80.4 — worse than roughly 80% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 80.4
Debt in Collections 82
Medical Debt 86
Student Loan Delinquency 86
Auto Loan Delinquency 66
Credit Card Delinquency 73
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 90
Housing Cost Burden 70.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 80
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 67
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 71
Homeownership Rate 80
Rent-to-Income Ratio 56
Community Vulnerability 47.0
Uninsured Rate 70
Disability Rate 24
Income & Poverty 33.7
Poverty Rate 44
Income vs. State Median 8
Child Poverty Rate 50
Employment & Wages 32.3
Unemployment Rate 13
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 72
Business Formation Rate 11

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Houston County compares to its 8 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Houston County
Houston County, GA 52.8 Elevated —
Bibb County, GA 76.1 Serious +23.2
Macon County, GA 73.6 Serious +20.8
Pulaski County, GA 68.6 Serious +15.8
Twiggs County, GA 67.2 Serious +14.4
Dooly County, GA 64.7 Elevated +11.9
Crawford County, GA 64.6 Elevated +11.8
Peach County, GA 61.9 Elevated +9.0
Bleckley County, GA 61.3 Elevated +8.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Houston County
Sevier County, TN 52.8 Elevated 0.0
Washington County, VA 52.8 Elevated -0.0
Walton County, GA 52.9 Elevated +0.0
Kershaw County, SC 52.7 Elevated -0.1
Schuylkill County, PA 52.7 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Houston 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 Houston 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

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Houston County, Georgia?

    Houston County has a County Distress Index score of 52.8 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,385th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 124th in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Houston County?

    The primary driver of distress in Houston County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 80.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Houston County compare to neighboring counties?

    Houston County (52.8) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Bibb County, GA (76.1); Macon County, GA (73.6); Pulaski County, GA (68.6).

  • 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 Houston County?

    Houston County, Georgia has a population of approximately 171,974 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.