Rockdale County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Elevated · 64.4 | 95,987 people · 81st most distressed in Georgia
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Rockdale County, GA registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 64.4 — 536th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Georgia, it ranks 81st 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. Rockdale County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 92.5 — worse than roughly 93% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 92.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 98
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 93
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 96
Homeownership Rate 82
Rent-to-Income Ratio 93
Debt & Delinquency 89.5
Debt in Collections 95
Medical Debt 74
Student Loan Delinquency 76
Auto Loan Delinquency 97
Credit Card Delinquency 98
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 98
Community Vulnerability 52.5
Uninsured Rate 85
Disability Rate 20
Employment & Wages 51.5
Unemployment Rate 61
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 92
Business Formation Rate 1
Income & Poverty 36.0
Poverty Rate 46
Income vs. State Median 7
Child Poverty Rate 55

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Rockdale County
Rockdale County, GA 64.4 Elevated —
Newton County, GA 63.8 Elevated -0.6
DeKalb County, GA 59.0 Elevated -5.4
Henry County, GA 56.2 Elevated -8.2
Walton County, GA 52.9 Elevated -11.5
Gwinnett County, GA 52.8 Elevated -11.6

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Rockdale County
Laurens County, SC 64.4 Elevated 0.0
Harrison County, MS 64.5 Elevated +0.1
Hampton city, VA 64.3 Elevated -0.1
Rutherford County, NC 64.5 Elevated +0.1
Athens County, OH 64.3 Elevated -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Rockdale County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Rockdale County.

THE HOMEOWNERS EMPLOYMENT CORPORATION
Conyers
404-492-6554-503 Website
Foreclosure PreventionMortgage HelpFinancial CounselingFinancial Counseling

See all counselors in Georgia →

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 Rockdale 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

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Rockdale County, Georgia?

    Rockdale County has a County Distress Index score of 64.4 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 536th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 81st in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Rockdale County?

    The primary driver of distress in Rockdale County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 92.5 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).

  • How does Rockdale County compare to neighboring counties?

    Rockdale County (64.4) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: Newton County, GA (63.8); DeKalb County, GA (59.0); Henry County, GA (56.2).

  • 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 Rockdale County?

    Rockdale County, Georgia has a population of approximately 95,987 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.