McDuffie County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Serious · 70.3 | 21,799 people · 29th most distressed in Georgia
American Default Research

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McDuffie County, GA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 70.3 — 198th 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 29th of 159 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. McDuffie County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 90.9 — worse than roughly 91% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 90.9
Debt in Collections 92
Medical Debt 95
Student Loan Delinquency 99
Auto Loan Delinquency 91
Credit Card Delinquency 79
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 89
Housing Cost Burden 78.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 67
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 84
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 66
Homeownership Rate 84
Rent-to-Income Ratio 92
Income & Poverty 76.8
Poverty Rate 82
Income vs. State Median 57
Child Poverty Rate 90
Employment & Wages 59.3
Unemployment Rate 67
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 91
Business Formation Rate 20
Community Vulnerability 46.0
Uninsured Rate 72
Disability Rate 20

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. McDuffie County
McDuffie County, GA 70.3 Serious —
Richmond County, GA 78.6 Serious +8.2
Jefferson County, GA 67.7 Serious -2.6
Wilkes County, GA 64.8 Elevated -5.5
Lincoln County, GA 61.1 Elevated -9.2
Warren County, GA 59.4 Elevated -10.9
Columbia County, GA 37.3 Normal -33.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. McDuffie County
Emanuel County, GA 70.3 Serious 0.0
Morris County, TX 70.3 Serious +0.0
St. Helena Parish, LA 70.3 Serious -0.0
Panola County, MS 70.4 Serious +0.0
Morehouse Parish, LA 70.3 Serious -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in McDuffie 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 McDuffie 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 McDuffie County, Georgia?

    McDuffie County has a County Distress Index score of 70.3 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 198th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 29th in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in McDuffie County?

    The primary driver of distress in McDuffie County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 90.9 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does McDuffie County compare to neighboring counties?

    McDuffie County (70.3) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Richmond County, GA (78.6); Jefferson County, GA (67.7); Wilkes County, GA (64.8).

  • 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 McDuffie County?

    McDuffie County, Georgia has a population of approximately 21,799 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.