Terrell County, Georgia
3× the national median for bankruptcy filing rate — and 59.7× the rate of the healthiest U.S. county (Glacier County, MT — 7).
Main Findings
Terrell County, Georgia ranks 52nd most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: a bankruptcy filing rate of 436 — more than double the national median of 126. Its highest-scoring domain is Default & Legal.
- 52nd of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — 84.9 · very high county distress, 6th in Georgia.
- A bankruptcy filing rate of 436 (U.S. median 126). Bankruptcy filing rate at the 95th percentile nationally. Source: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025).
- Subprime credit share at 38% — national median 23%, ranked at the 92nd percentile. Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025).
- Child poverty rate at 41% — national median 18%, ranked at the 95th percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023).
- Unemployment at 5% — national median 4%, ranked at the 82nd percentile. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026).
Unemployment is 5%, near the national median of 4%, while subprime credit share runs at the 92nd percentile. Jobs exist; wages don't close the gap.
Neighbors span five CDI score labels. The 41-point drop to Lee County marks where the Georgia distress corridor ends.
Terrell County has a very high county distress score. The domain table shows which local pressure carries the composite.
The CDI gives this county a very high county distress label. The five-domain profile shows which local pressures carry the score. Its highest-scoring domain is Default & Legal.
Reporter's Notes
Two data points in the indicator table worth a follow-up call.
According to U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023), 41% of children under 18 in Terrell County live below the federal poverty line, versus 18% nationally. When a county's adult poverty rate is accompanied by a materially higher child poverty rate, the gap typically reflects single-parent household concentration or limited access to workforce-participation supports (childcare, transportation). Worth a call to the local school district's free-and-reduced-lunch coordinator or a regional United Way affiliate.
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind Terrell County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Terrell County's value shown alongside GA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Terrell | GA median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 86 · Rank 334 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 10% | 8% | 5% | 91st | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 7% | 8% | 5% | 76th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 38% | 36% | 23% | 92nd | Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Equifax (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 94 · Rank 62 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 39% | 36% | 23% | 94th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 436 | 255 | 126 | 95th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 77 · Rank 504 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 30% | 24% | 21% | 95th | HUD FMR (FY2026); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 19% | 19% | 18% | 58th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 82 · Rank 548 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 5% | 3% | 4% | 82nd | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (May 2026) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 85 · Rank 178 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 41% | 26% | 18% | 95th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 16% | 16% | 16% | 53rd | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 28% | 18% | 14% | 95th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 16% | 13% | 8% | 90th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), FRED/Equifax (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2022 to 2026 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Terrell County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 130-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
DAWSON, Ga. — Terrell County ranks 52nd among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 84.9 out of 100 gives Terrell a very high county distress label. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 51 counties rank more distressed. Within Georgia, Terrell ranks sixth of 159 counties.
The index, which draws on 13 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies default & legal as the primary driver in Terrell. A bankruptcy filing rate of 436 — more than double the national median of 126.
American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Terrell County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Terrell County's distress score?
How does Terrell County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
Terrell County resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →