Newton County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Elevated · 63.8 | 120,135 people · 85th most distressed in Georgia
American Default Research

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Newton County, GA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 63.8 — 574th 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 85th 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. Newton County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 91.3 — worse than roughly 91% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 91.3
Debt in Collections 94
Medical Debt 70
Student Loan Delinquency 93
Auto Loan Delinquency 95
Credit Card Delinquency 99
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 98
Housing Cost Burden 86.1
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 95
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 98
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 92
Homeownership Rate 53
Rent-to-Income Ratio 93
Community Vulnerability 55.6
Uninsured Rate 78
Disability Rate 33
Employment & Wages 54.3
Unemployment Rate 64
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 96
Business Formation Rate 3
Income & Poverty 31.8
Poverty Rate 36
Income vs. State Median 7
Child Poverty Rate 52

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Newton County
Newton County, GA 63.8 Elevated —
Rockdale County, GA 64.4 Elevated +0.6
Butts County, GA 61.6 Elevated -2.2
Jasper County, GA 56.4 Elevated -7.4
Henry County, GA 56.2 Elevated -7.6
Walton County, GA 52.9 Elevated -10.9
Morgan County, GA 46.0 Normal -17.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Newton County
Harrison County, TX 63.7 Elevated -0.1
Wayne County, IN 63.9 Elevated +0.1
Jackson County, IL 63.9 Elevated +0.1
Forrest County, MS 63.6 Elevated -0.2
Yuma County, AZ 64.0 Elevated +0.2

Download Data

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

Find Help in Newton 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 Newton 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 Newton County, Georgia?

    Newton County has a County Distress Index score of 63.8 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 574th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 85th in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Newton County?

    The primary driver of distress in Newton County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 91.3 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Newton County compare to neighboring counties?

    Newton County (63.8) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Rockdale County, GA (64.4); Butts County, GA (61.6); Jasper County, GA (56.4).

  • 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 Newton County?

    Newton County, Georgia has a population of approximately 120,135 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.