Jefferson County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Serious · 67.7 | 15,183 people · 54th most distressed in Georgia
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Jefferson County, GA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 67.7 — 324th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Income & Poverty, where poverty rates are high and household incomes lag well behind state and national medians. Within Georgia, it ranks 54th of 159 counties. Its score is in the middle of its 8 neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Jefferson County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 90.6 — worse than roughly 91% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 90.6
Poverty Rate 92
Income vs. State Median 86
Child Poverty Rate 94
Debt & Delinquency 88.1
Debt in Collections 95
Medical Debt 95
Student Loan Delinquency 95
Auto Loan Delinquency 92
Credit Card Delinquency 69
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 82
Community Vulnerability 71.3
Uninsured Rate 93
Disability Rate 49
Housing Cost Burden 52.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 26
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 69
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 5
Homeownership Rate 78
Rent-to-Income Ratio 82
Employment & Wages 36.5
Unemployment Rate 58
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 38
Business Formation Rate 14

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Jefferson County
Jefferson County, GA 67.7 Serious —
Richmond County, GA 78.6 Serious +10.9
Washington County, GA 70.5 Serious +2.8
Emanuel County, GA 70.3 Serious +2.6
McDuffie County, GA 70.3 Serious +2.6
Burke County, GA 66.2 Serious -1.5
Johnson County, GA 64.2 Elevated -3.5
Warren County, GA 59.4 Elevated -8.3
Glascock County, GA 58.3 Elevated -9.4

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Jefferson County
Wayne County, GA 67.7 Serious +0.0
Whitley County, KY 67.7 Serious -0.0
Butler County, MO 67.7 Serious -0.0
Las Animas County, CO 67.8 Serious +0.1
Johnston County, OK 67.8 Serious +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson County, Georgia?

    Jefferson County has a County Distress Index score of 67.7 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 324th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 54th in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Jefferson County?

    The primary driver of distress in Jefferson County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 90.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Jefferson County compare to neighboring counties?

    Jefferson County (67.7) can be compared to its 8 neighboring counties: Richmond County, GA (78.6); Washington County, GA (70.5); Emanuel County, GA (70.3).

  • 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 Jefferson County?

    Jefferson County, Georgia has a population of approximately 15,183 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.