Pickens County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Elevated · 52.7 | 35,969 people · 127th most distressed in Georgia
American Default Research

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Pickens County, GA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 52.7 — 1394th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Community Vulnerability, where uninsured and disability rates are well above the national average. Within Georgia, it ranks 127th of 159 counties. It scores higher than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Pickens County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 78.0 — worse than roughly 78% of U.S. counties.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 78.0
Uninsured Rate 79
Disability Rate 77
Debt & Delinquency 60.8
Debt in Collections 59
Medical Debt 72
Student Loan Delinquency 30
Auto Loan Delinquency 64
Credit Card Delinquency 50
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 89
Housing Cost Burden 59.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 72
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 40
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 62
Homeownership Rate 30
Rent-to-Income Ratio 91
Employment & Wages 42.7
Unemployment Rate 8
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 96
Business Formation Rate 24
Income & Poverty 23.1
Poverty Rate 21
Income vs. State Median 6
Child Poverty Rate 42

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

Neighbors and Peers

How Pickens County compares to its 5 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Pickens County
Pickens County, GA 52.7 Elevated —
Bartow County, GA 52.3 Elevated -0.4
Gilmer County, GA 50.9 Elevated -1.9
Gordon County, GA 49.0 Normal -3.7
Dawson County, GA 43.0 Normal -9.8
Cherokee County, GA 37.8 Normal -14.9

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Pickens County
Bourbon County, KY 52.7 Elevated -0.0
Preston County, WV 52.7 Elevated -0.0
Chester County, TN 52.7 Elevated -0.0
Fayette County, IL 52.7 Elevated -0.0
Elmore County, ID 52.7 Elevated -0.0

Download Data

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

Find Help in Pickens 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 Pickens 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 Pickens County, Georgia?

    Pickens County has a County Distress Index score of 52.7 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,394th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 127th in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Pickens County?

    The primary driver of distress in Pickens County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 78.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Pickens County compare to neighboring counties?

    Pickens County (52.7) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Bartow County, GA (52.3); Gilmer County, GA (50.9); Gordon County, GA (49.0).

  • 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 Pickens County?

    Pickens County, Georgia has a population of approximately 35,969 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.