Pierce County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Elevated · 55.9 | 20,425 people · 115th most distressed in Georgia
American Default Research

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Pierce County, GA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 55.9 — 1148th 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 115th of 159 counties. It scores lower than all 5 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Pierce County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 78.1 — worse than roughly 78% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 78.1
Debt in Collections 80
Medical Debt 94
Student Loan Delinquency 44
Auto Loan Delinquency 74
Credit Card Delinquency 81
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 95
Income & Poverty 59.9
Poverty Rate 69
Income vs. State Median 43
Child Poverty Rate 68
Community Vulnerability 56.5
Uninsured Rate 87
Disability Rate 26
Employment & Wages 49.1
Unemployment Rate 38
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 69
Business Formation Rate 41
Housing Cost Burden 36.0
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 28
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 17
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 47
Homeownership Rate 29
Rent-to-Income Ratio 60

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Pierce County
Pierce County, GA 55.9 Elevated —
Ware County, GA 75.3 Serious +19.3
Wayne County, GA 67.7 Serious +11.8
Bacon County, GA 64.8 Elevated +8.8
Brantley County, GA 63.8 Elevated +7.9
Appling County, GA 58.4 Elevated +2.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Pierce County
Caldwell County, KY 56.0 Elevated +0.0
St. John the Baptist Parish, LA 55.9 Elevated -0.0
De Soto Parish, LA 56.0 Elevated +0.0
Montgomery County, KY 56.0 Elevated +0.1
Scott County, IN 55.8 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Pierce 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 Pierce 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 Pierce County, Georgia?

    Pierce County has a County Distress Index score of 55.9 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,148th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 115th in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Pierce County?

    The primary driver of distress in Pierce County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 78.1 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Pierce County compare to neighboring counties?

    Pierce County (55.9) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Ware County, GA (75.3); Wayne County, GA (67.7); Bacon County, GA (64.8).

  • 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 Pierce County?

    Pierce County, Georgia has a population of approximately 20,425 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.