Meriwether County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Serious · 68.7 | 20,931 people · 42nd most distressed in Georgia
American Default Research

Behind on your mortgage or facing eviction? Take a 2-minute assessment to see your options.

Meriwether County, GA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 68.7 — 274th 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 42nd of 159 counties. Among its 7 neighboring counties, 5 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Meriwether County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 92.7 — worse than roughly 93% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 92.7
Debt in Collections 94
Medical Debt 96
Student Loan Delinquency 96
Auto Loan Delinquency 87
Credit Card Delinquency 88
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 95
Community Vulnerability 86.3
Uninsured Rate 86
Disability Rate 87
Income & Poverty 68.7
Poverty Rate 67
Income vs. State Median 52
Child Poverty Rate 87
Housing Cost Burden 63.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 61
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 42
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 87
Homeownership Rate 69
Rent-to-Income Ratio 59
Employment & Wages 32.5
Unemployment Rate 61
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 30
Business Formation Rate 7

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Meriwether County
Meriwether County, GA 68.7 Serious —
Talbot County, GA 72.7 Serious +4.0
Spalding County, GA 70.3 Serious +1.6
Upson County, GA 66.6 Serious -2.1
Troup County, GA 66.3 Serious -2.4
Pike County, GA 47.7 Normal -21.0
Coweta County, GA 42.8 Normal -25.9
Harris County, GA 35.5 Normal -33.2

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Meriwether County
Early County, GA 68.8 Serious +0.0
Hendry County, FL 68.8 Serious +0.1
Matagorda County, TX 68.7 Serious -0.1
Ashley County, AR 68.8 Serious +0.1
Natchitoches Parish, LA 68.8 Serious +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Meriwether 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 Meriwether 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.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in Georgia →

Continue Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Meriwether County, Georgia?

    Meriwether County has a County Distress Index score of 68.7 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 274th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 42nd in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Meriwether County?

    The primary driver of distress in Meriwether County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 92.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Meriwether County compare to neighboring counties?

    Meriwether County (68.7) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Talbot County, GA (72.7); Spalding County, GA (70.3); Upson County, GA (66.6).

  • 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 Meriwether County?

    Meriwether County, Georgia has a population of approximately 20,931 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.