Lanier County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Serious · 67.8 | 10,452 people · 52nd most distressed in Georgia
American Default Research

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Lanier County, GA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 67.8 — 320th 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 52nd of 159 counties. It scores higher than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Lanier County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 88.0 — worse than roughly 88% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 88.0
Debt in Collections 94
Medical Debt 95
Student Loan Delinquency 85
Auto Loan Delinquency 70
Credit Card Delinquency 95
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 90
Income & Poverty 70.6
Poverty Rate 76
Income vs. State Median 52
Child Poverty Rate 84
Housing Cost Burden 66.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 81
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 63
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 37
Homeownership Rate 63
Rent-to-Income Ratio 86
Community Vulnerability 65.8
Uninsured Rate 90
Disability Rate 42
Employment & Wages 48.7
Unemployment Rate 34
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 86
Business Formation Rate 26

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Lanier County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Lanier County
Lanier County, GA 67.8 Serious —
Lowndes County, GA 67.7 Serious -0.2
Clinch County, GA 67.4 Serious -0.4
Atkinson County, GA 67.2 Serious -0.6
Berrien County, GA 65.4 Serious -2.4
Echols County, GA 62.3 Elevated -5.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Lanier County
Sumter County, AL 67.8 Serious 0.0
Jefferson County, FL 67.8 Serious +0.0
Taylor County, FL 67.8 Serious +0.0
Johnston County, OK 67.8 Serious -0.0
Las Animas County, CO 67.8 Serious -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Lanier 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 Lanier 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 Lanier County, Georgia?

    Lanier County has a County Distress Index score of 67.8 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 320th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 52nd in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Lanier County?

    The primary driver of distress in Lanier County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 88.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Lanier County compare to neighboring counties?

    Lanier County (67.8) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Lowndes County, GA (67.7); Clinch County, GA (67.4); Atkinson County, GA (67.2).

  • 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 Lanier County?

    Lanier County, Georgia has a population of approximately 10,452 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.