Richmond County, Georgia
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Richmond County. Population: 205,414 (mid).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Richmond County, GA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 78.6 — 13th 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 3rd of 159 counties. It scores higher than all 6 of its neighboring counties.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Richmond County compares to all U.S. counties across five dimensions of financial distress. Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.
Debt & Delinquency
Primary DriverHousing Cost Burden
Income & Poverty
Community Vulnerability
Employment & Wages
How Richmond County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond County, GA | 78.6 | Serious Stress | — |
| McDuffie County, GA | 70.3 | Serious Stress | -8.2 |
| Jefferson County, GA | 67.7 | Serious Stress | -10.9 |
| Burke County, GA | 66.2 | Serious Stress | -12.3 |
| Edgefield County, SC | 59.1 | Elevated | -19.5 |
| Aiken County, SC | 52.2 | Elevated | -26.4 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (mid) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dougherty County, GA | 79.0 | Serious Stress | +0.5 |
| Starr County, TX | 79.2 | Serious Stress | +0.6 |
| Robeson County, NC | 76.3 | Serious Stress | -2.3 |
| McKinley County, NM | 76.1 | Serious Stress | -2.4 |
| Bibb County, GA | 76.1 | Serious Stress | -2.5 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Richmond County as a CSV file.
Resources
Richmond County scores in the Serious Stress zone. If you or someone you know is experiencing financial hardship, free help is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for Richmond County, Georgia?
Richmond County has a County Distress Index score of 78.6 out of 100, placing it in the Serious Stress zone. It ranks 13th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 3rd in Georgia out of 159 counties.
What drives financial distress in Richmond County?
The primary driver of distress in Richmond County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 95.2 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.
How does Richmond County compare to neighboring counties?
Richmond County (78.6) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: McDuffie County, GA (70.3); Jefferson County, GA (67.7); Burke County, GA (66.2).
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 Richmond County?
Richmond County, Georgia has a population of approximately 205,414 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.