Thomas County, Georgia

County Distress Index: Serious · 66.3 | 45,649 people · 69th most distressed in Georgia
American Default Research

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Thomas County, GA shows significant household financial distress with a score of 66.3 — 423rd 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 69th of 159 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 5 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Thomas County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 90.7 — worse than roughly 91% of U.S. counties.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 90.7
Debt in Collections 88
Medical Debt 90
Student Loan Delinquency 99
Auto Loan Delinquency 92
Credit Card Delinquency 82
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 93
Housing Cost Burden 71.5
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 63
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 57
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 67
Homeownership Rate 90
Rent-to-Income Ratio 80
Income & Poverty 69.3
Poverty Rate 80
Income vs. State Median 49
Child Poverty Rate 79
Community Vulnerability 67.7
Uninsured Rate 70
Disability Rate 66
Employment & Wages 32.2
Unemployment Rate 27
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 51
Business Formation Rate 19

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

Neighbors and Peers

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

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Thomas County
Thomas County, GA 66.3 Serious —
Mitchell County, GA 79.6 Serious +13.3
Brooks County, GA 74.0 Serious +7.7
Grady County, GA 71.0 Serious +4.8
Colquitt County, GA 68.1 Serious +1.8
Jefferson County, FL 67.8 Serious +1.6
Leon County, FL 59.5 Elevated -6.7

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Thomas County
Greensville County, VA 66.3 Serious +0.0
Hempstead County, AR 66.3 Serious +0.0
Burke County, GA 66.2 Serious -0.0
Polk County, TN 66.3 Serious +0.0
Chickasaw County, MS 66.2 Serious -0.1

Download Data

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

Find Help in Thomas 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 Thomas 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 Thomas County, Georgia?

    Thomas County has a County Distress Index score of 66.3 out of 100, placing it in the Serious zone. It ranks 423rd nationally out of 3,144 counties and 69th in Georgia out of 159 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Thomas County?

    The primary driver of distress in Thomas County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 90.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Thomas County compare to neighboring counties?

    Thomas County (66.3) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Mitchell County, GA (79.6); Brooks County, GA (74.0); Grady County, GA (71.0).

  • 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 Thomas County?

    Thomas County, Georgia has a population of approximately 45,649 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.