Polk County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Serious · 68.2 | 44,223 people · 48th most distressed in Georgia
American Default Research

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Polk County, GA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 68.2 — 302nd 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 48th 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. Polk County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 90.4 — worse than roughly 90% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 90.4
Debt in Collections 92
Medical Debt 99
Student Loan Delinquency 92
Auto Loan Delinquency 81
Credit Card Delinquency 91
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 88
Community Vulnerability 76.0
Uninsured Rate 85
Disability Rate 67
Housing Cost Burden 68.9
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 83
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 92
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 28
Homeownership Rate 85
Rent-to-Income Ratio 56
Income & Poverty 64.0
Poverty Rate 75
Income vs. State Median 43
Child Poverty Rate 74
Employment & Wages 41.7
Unemployment Rate 30
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 51
Business Formation Rate 44

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Polk County
Polk County, GA 68.2 Serious —
Floyd County, GA 68.4 Serious +0.2
Haralson County, GA 57.1 Elevated -11.1
Bartow County, GA 52.3 Elevated -15.9
Cherokee County, AL 50.5 Elevated -17.7
Cleburne County, AL 49.3 Normal -18.9
Paulding County, GA 45.1 Normal -23.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Polk County
Casey County, KY 68.1 Serious -0.0
Caddo County, OK 68.1 Serious -0.1
St. Bernard Parish, LA 68.3 Serious +0.1
Colquitt County, GA 68.1 Serious -0.1
Meigs County, OH 68.3 Serious +0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Polk 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 Polk 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 Polk County, Georgia?

    Polk County has a County Distress Index score of 68.2 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 302nd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 48th in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Polk County?

    The primary driver of distress in Polk County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 90.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Polk County compare to neighboring counties?

    Polk County (68.2) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Floyd County, GA (68.4); Haralson County, GA (57.1); Bartow County, GA (52.3).

  • 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 Polk County?

    Polk County, Georgia has a population of approximately 44,223 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.