Paulding County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Normal · 45.1 | 183,164 people · 145th most distressed in Georgia
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Paulding County, GA falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 45.1 — 1971st 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 145th of 159 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Paulding County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 79.6 — worse than roughly 80% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 79.6
Debt in Collections 81
Medical Debt 86
Student Loan Delinquency 69
Auto Loan Delinquency 67
Credit Card Delinquency 86
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 89
Housing Cost Burden 55.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 49
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 49
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 91
Homeownership Rate 18
Rent-to-Income Ratio 69
Employment & Wages 44.3
Unemployment Rate 30
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 98
Business Formation Rate 4
Community Vulnerability 39.9
Uninsured Rate 67
Disability Rate 13
Income & Poverty 6.9
Poverty Rate 6
Income vs. State Median 2
Child Poverty Rate 13

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Paulding County
Paulding County, GA 45.1 Normal —
Polk County, GA 68.2 Serious +23.0
Carroll County, GA 61.3 Elevated +16.2
Douglas County, GA 58.3 Elevated +13.1
Haralson County, GA 57.1 Elevated +12.0
Bartow County, GA 52.3 Elevated +7.1
Cobb County, GA 45.0 Normal -0.1

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Paulding County
Lonoke County, AR 45.1 Normal -0.0
Strafford County, NH 45.1 Normal -0.0
Wagoner County, OK 45.2 Normal +0.1
Kootenai County, ID 45.1 Normal -0.1
Cayuga County, NY 45.3 Normal +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Paulding 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 Paulding 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 Paulding County, Georgia?

    Paulding County has a County Distress Index score of 45.1 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 1,971st nationally out of 3,144 counties and 145th in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Paulding County?

    The primary driver of distress in Paulding County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 79.6 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Paulding County compare to neighboring counties?

    Paulding County (45.1) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Polk County, GA (68.2); Carroll County, GA (61.3); Douglas County, GA (58.3).

  • 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 Paulding County?

    Paulding County, Georgia has a population of approximately 183,164 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.