Jackson County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Normal · 39.3 | 88,615 people · 153rd most distressed in Georgia
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Jackson County, GA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 39.3 — 2394th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where debt and delinquency levels sit above the national average. Within Georgia, it ranks 153rd of 159 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 6 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Jackson County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 62.8 — above the national median.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 62.8
Debt in Collections 57
Medical Debt 73
Student Loan Delinquency 48
Auto Loan Delinquency 48
Credit Card Delinquency 60
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 91
Community Vulnerability 56.8
Uninsured Rate 77
Disability Rate 37
Housing Cost Burden 39.3
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 42
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 47
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 80
Homeownership Rate 20
Rent-to-Income Ratio 8
Employment & Wages 30.3
Unemployment Rate 13
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 68
Business Formation Rate 10
Income & Poverty 7.1
Poverty Rate 9
Income vs. State Median 3
Child Poverty Rate 9

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Jackson County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Jackson County
Jackson County, GA 39.3 Normal —
Clarke County, GA 64.6 Elevated +25.4
Madison County, GA 57.9 Elevated +18.6
Barrow County, GA 54.0 Elevated +14.7
Gwinnett County, GA 52.8 Elevated +13.5
Hall County, GA 49.3 Normal +10.0
Banks County, GA 48.1 Normal +8.9
Oconee County, GA 18.3 Healthy -20.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Jackson County
Grafton County, NH 39.2 Normal -0.0
Grant County, WI 39.2 Normal -0.0
Spotsylvania County, VA 39.2 Normal -0.1
Northwest Hills Planning Region, CT 39.4 Normal +0.1
Maui County, HI 39.4 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Jackson 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 Jackson 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 Jackson County, Georgia?

    Jackson County has a County Distress Index score of 39.3 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,394th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 153rd in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Jackson County?

    The primary driver of distress in Jackson County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 62.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Jackson County compare to neighboring counties?

    Jackson County (39.3) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Clarke County, GA (64.6); Madison County, GA (57.9); Barrow County, GA (54.0).

  • 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 Jackson County?

    Jackson County, Georgia has a population of approximately 88,615 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.