Putnam County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Elevated · 61.8 | 23,129 people · 92nd most distressed in Georgia
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Putnam County, GA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 61.8 — 698th 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 92nd of 159 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show less distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Putnam County's primary driver is Community Vulnerability at 73.8 — above the national median.

Community Vulnerability Primary driver 73.8
Uninsured Rate 75
Disability Rate 72
Debt & Delinquency 64.1
Debt in Collections 72
Medical Debt 88
Student Loan Delinquency 64
Auto Loan Delinquency 62
Credit Card Delinquency 23
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 76
Housing Cost Burden 63.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 97
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 97
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 47
Homeownership Rate 9
Rent-to-Income Ratio 67
Income & Poverty 59.4
Poverty Rate 65
Income vs. State Median 32
Child Poverty Rate 81
Employment & Wages 48.3
Unemployment Rate 61
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 73
Business Formation Rate 11

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Putnam County
Putnam County, GA 61.8 Elevated —
Hancock County, GA 77.5 Serious +15.7
Baldwin County, GA 73.3 Serious +11.5
Jasper County, GA 56.4 Elevated -5.4
Jones County, GA 50.5 Elevated -11.4
Morgan County, GA 46.0 Normal -15.9
Greene County, GA 45.3 Normal -16.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Putnam County
Perry County, KY 61.8 Elevated 0.0
Peach County, GA 61.9 Elevated +0.0
Pawnee County, OK 61.9 Elevated +0.0
Limestone County, TX 61.9 Elevated +0.0
Gulf County, FL 61.8 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Putnam 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 Putnam 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 Putnam County, Georgia?

    Putnam County has a County Distress Index score of 61.8 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 698th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 92nd in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Putnam County?

    The primary driver of distress in Putnam County is Community Vulnerability, where the county scores 73.8 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Uninsured Rate, Disability Rate.

  • How does Putnam County compare to neighboring counties?

    Putnam County (61.8) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Hancock County, GA (77.5); Baldwin County, GA (73.3); Jasper County, GA (56.4).

  • 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 Putnam County?

    Putnam County, Georgia has a population of approximately 23,129 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.