Johnson County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Elevated · 64.2 | 9,282 people · 83rd most distressed in Georgia
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Johnson County, GA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 64.2 — 550th 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 83rd of 159 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Johnson County's primary driver is Income & Poverty at 84.2 — worse than roughly 84% of U.S. counties.

Income & Poverty Primary driver 84.3
Poverty Rate 95
Income vs. State Median 65
Child Poverty Rate 93
Community Vulnerability 77.2
Uninsured Rate 74
Disability Rate 81
Debt & Delinquency 67.7
Debt in Collections 81
Medical Debt 64
Student Loan Delinquency 85
Auto Loan Delinquency 95
Credit Card Delinquency 21
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 60
Employment & Wages 54.0
Unemployment Rate 30
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 71
Business Formation Rate 61
Housing Cost Burden 37.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 42
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 20
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 17
Homeownership Rate 46
Rent-to-Income Ratio 64

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Johnson County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Johnson County
Johnson County, GA 64.2 Elevated —
Washington County, GA 70.5 Serious +6.3
Emanuel County, GA 70.3 Serious +6.2
Treutlen County, GA 69.6 Serious +5.4
Jefferson County, GA 67.7 Serious +3.5
Laurens County, GA 62.4 Elevated -1.7
Wilkinson County, GA 62.4 Elevated -1.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Johnson County
Stephens County, TX 64.2 Elevated -0.0
Wilcox County, GA 64.2 Elevated +0.0
Perry County, TN 64.2 Elevated +0.0
Coleman County, TX 64.2 Elevated +0.1
Cochran County, TX 64.0 Elevated -0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Johnson 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 Johnson 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 Johnson County, Georgia?

    Johnson County has a County Distress Index score of 64.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 550th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 83rd in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Johnson County?

    The primary driver of distress in Johnson County is Income & Poverty, where the county scores 84.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Poverty Rate, Income vs. State Median, Child Poverty Rate.

  • How does Johnson County compare to neighboring counties?

    Johnson County (64.2) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Washington County, GA (70.5); Emanuel County, GA (70.3); Treutlen County, GA (69.6).

  • 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 Johnson County?

    Johnson County, Georgia has a population of approximately 9,282 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a tiny county.