Mitchell County, Georgia
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Mitchell County. Population: 21,114 (small).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Mitchell County, GA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 79.6 — 6th 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 1st of 159 counties. It scores higher than all 7 of its neighboring counties.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Mitchell County compares to all U.S. counties across five dimensions of financial distress. Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.
Debt & Delinquency
Primary DriverCommunity Vulnerability
Income & Poverty
Housing Cost Burden
Employment & Wages
How Mitchell County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell County, GA | 79.6 | Serious Stress | — |
| Dougherty County, GA | 79.0 | Serious Stress | -0.6 |
| Worth County, GA | 71.1 | Serious Stress | -8.5 |
| Grady County, GA | 71.0 | Serious Stress | -8.5 |
| Decatur County, GA | 70.7 | Serious Stress | -8.9 |
| Baker County, GA | 68.5 | Serious Stress | -11.1 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (small) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dunklin County, MO | 79.7 | Serious Stress | +0.1 |
| Phillips County, AR | 79.2 | Serious Stress | -0.4 |
| Sequoyah County, OK | 79.2 | Serious Stress | -0.4 |
| Wayne County, MO | 80.2 | Crisis | +0.6 |
| Gadsden County, FL | 80.3 | Crisis | +0.7 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Mitchell County as a CSV file.
Resources
Mitchell County scores in the Serious Stress zone. If you or someone you know is experiencing financial hardship, free help is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for Mitchell County, Georgia?
Mitchell County has a County Distress Index score of 79.6 out of 100, placing it in the Serious Stress zone. It ranks 6th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 1st in Georgia out of 159 counties.
What drives financial distress in Mitchell County?
The primary driver of distress in Mitchell County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 97.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.
How does Mitchell County compare to neighboring counties?
Mitchell County (79.6) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Dougherty County, GA (79.0); Worth County, GA (71.1); Grady County, GA (71.0).
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 Mitchell County?
Mitchell County, Georgia has a population of approximately 21,114 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.