Madison County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Elevated · 57.9 | 32,191 people · 108th most distressed in Georgia
American Default Research

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Madison County, GA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 57.9 — 999th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where uninsured and disability rates are well above the national average. Within Georgia, it ranks 108th of 159 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Madison County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 82.1 — worse than roughly 82% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 82.1
Uninsured Rate 92
Disability Rate 72
Debt & Delinquency 70.7
Debt in Collections 69
Medical Debt 66
Student Loan Delinquency 64
Auto Loan Delinquency 58
Credit Card Delinquency 92
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 75
Employment & Wages 52.7
Unemployment Rate 23
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 93
Business Formation Rate 43
Housing Cost Burden 47.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 56
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 32
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 29
Homeownership Rate 44
Rent-to-Income Ratio 77
Income & Poverty 36.3
Poverty Rate 46
Income vs. State Median 18
Child Poverty Rate 45

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Madison County
Madison County, GA 57.9 Elevated —
Elbert County, GA 69.8 Serious +11.9
Clarke County, GA 64.6 Elevated +6.7
Franklin County, GA 60.1 Elevated +2.2
Hart County, GA 59.7 Elevated +1.8
Oglethorpe County, GA 53.1 Elevated -4.8
Banks County, GA 48.1 Normal -9.8
Jackson County, GA 39.3 Normal -18.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Madison County
Highland County, OH 57.9 Elevated +0.0
Montezuma County, CO 57.9 Elevated -0.0
Brown County, OH 57.9 Elevated -0.0
Stone County, MS 57.9 Elevated +0.0
Winchester city, VA 57.9 Elevated +0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Madison 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 Madison 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 Madison County, Georgia?

    Madison County has a County Distress Index score of 57.9 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 999th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 108th in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Madison County?

    The primary driver of distress in Madison County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 82.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Madison County compare to neighboring counties?

    Madison County (57.9) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Elbert County, GA (69.8); Clarke County, GA (64.6); Franklin County, GA (60.1).

  • 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 Madison County?

    Madison County, Georgia has a population of approximately 32,191 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.