Oconee County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Healthy · 18.3 | 44,182 people · 159th most distressed in Georgia
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Oconee County, GA ranks among the least distressed counties in the country at 18.3 — 3131st nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where the job market is relatively stable with wages that keep pace with costs. Within Georgia, it ranks 159th of 159 counties. It scores lower than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Oconee County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 34.5 — above the national median.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 34.5
Unemployment Rate 8
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 82
Business Formation Rate 13
Debt & Delinquency 20.9
Debt in Collections 10
Medical Debt 38
Student Loan Delinquency 17
Auto Loan Delinquency 12
Credit Card Delinquency 19
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 29
Community Vulnerability 17.0
Uninsured Rate 32
Disability Rate 2
Housing Cost Burden 16.7
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 9
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 12
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 50
Homeownership Rate 12
Rent-to-Income Ratio 1
Income & Poverty 2.5
Poverty Rate 5
Income vs. State Median 0
Child Poverty Rate 2

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Oconee County
Oconee County, GA 18.3 Healthy —
Clarke County, GA 64.6 Elevated +46.3
Barrow County, GA 54.0 Elevated +35.6
Oglethorpe County, GA 53.1 Elevated +34.8
Walton County, GA 52.9 Elevated +34.5
Morgan County, GA 46.0 Normal +27.6
Greene County, GA 45.3 Normal +27.0
Jackson County, GA 39.3 Normal +20.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Oconee County
Nemaha County, KS 18.3 Healthy +0.0
Grundy County, IA 18.4 Healthy +0.1
Plymouth County, IA 18.5 Healthy +0.2
Morgan County, UT 19.0 Healthy +0.7
Union County, SD 19.6 Healthy +1.3

Download Data

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

Find Help in Oconee 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 Oconee 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 Oconee County, Georgia?

    Oconee County has a County Distress Index score of 18.3 out of 100, placing it in the Healthy zone. It ranks 3,131st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 159th in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Oconee County?

    The primary driver of distress in Oconee County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 34.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Oconee County compare to neighboring counties?

    Oconee County (18.3) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Clarke County, GA (64.6); Barrow County, GA (54.0); Oglethorpe County, GA (53.1).

  • 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 Oconee County?

    Oconee County, Georgia has a population of approximately 44,182 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.