Murray County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Elevated · 56.6 | 41,035 people · 110th most distressed in Georgia
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Murray County, GA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 56.6 — 1099th 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 110th of 159 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Murray County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 94.1 — worse than roughly 94% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 94.1
Debt in Collections 91
Medical Debt 98
Student Loan Delinquency 97
Auto Loan Delinquency 87
Credit Card Delinquency 94
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 97
Employment & Wages 59.3
Unemployment Rate 38
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 64
Business Formation Rate 76
Community Vulnerability 55.2
Uninsured Rate 84
Disability Rate 27
Income & Poverty 45.9
Poverty Rate 57
Income vs. State Median 21
Child Poverty Rate 60
Housing Cost Burden 28.6
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 24
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 22
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 14
Homeownership Rate 56
Rent-to-Income Ratio 28

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Murray County
Murray County, GA 56.6 Elevated —
Polk County, TN 66.3 Serious +9.7
Bradley County, TN 62.0 Elevated +5.4
Whitfield County, GA 56.3 Elevated -0.4
Fannin County, GA 52.4 Elevated -4.3
Gilmer County, GA 50.9 Elevated -5.8
Gordon County, GA 49.0 Normal -7.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Murray County
Hart County, KY 56.6 Elevated -0.0
Henry County, KY 56.6 Elevated +0.0
Covington County, AL 56.7 Elevated +0.0
Lincoln County, AR 56.7 Elevated +0.0
Fayette County, AL 56.7 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Murray 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 Murray 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 Murray County, Georgia?

    Murray County has a County Distress Index score of 56.6 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,099th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 110th in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Murray County?

    The primary driver of distress in Murray County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 94.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Murray County compare to neighboring counties?

    Murray County (56.6) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Polk County, TN (66.3); Bradley County, TN (62.0); Whitfield County, GA (56.3).

  • 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 Murray County?

    Murray County, Georgia has a population of approximately 41,035 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.